In his farewell speech, Lou Gehrig develops a modest and grateful persona through his simple speech and outspoken humility. These strategies allow Gehrig and the audience to communicate in a more personal way, and the audience is able to see that Gehrig is authentic and relatable. To begin with, even though Gehrig’s fans know that he is suffering from a deadly disease, he downplays his illness by calling it a “bad break,” and he does not leave room for pity but uplifts the audience with his admiration and appreciation of them and his fans. He also expresses gratitude toward his manager, teammates, rivals, and even the groundskeepers (lines 4-14). To Gehrig wealth and fame mean nothing compared to the “kindness and encouragement” from his fans