The Iron Horse
Posted: July 4th, 2009 | Filed under: Baseball | 17 Comments »
My friend, the Kansas City Star sports editor Joe McGuff, suffered from ALS in the final years of his life. He had trouble speaking. He cried easily. I remember once I went to see him, and he held my hand, and he started to say something … then he stopped, realized that he could not vocalize the words, and he looked at me and started to cry. In his eyes, I could hear him. He was saying: I remember when I was young like you. He was saying: Embrace life.
Seventy years later, on the Fourth of July, you can still see that look in the eyes of Lou Gehrig.
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Amazing how some sport’s figures can completely transcend the game. Lou – and more specifically that speech – did just that.
Bert, don’t circle anyone anymore.
[...] Joe Posnanski: My friend, the Kansas City Star sports editor Joe McGuff, suffered from ALS in the final years of [...]
I was cleaning/organizing my bookshelf this morning (single parent + sick kids) and ran across some of the KC Star issues from Buck O’Neill’s passing…
In the special 8-page insert there was a picture titled “The Mt. Rushmore of KC sports” and it included Tom Watson, Len Dawson, Joe McGuff, Buck and George Brett…
I think most natives put Watson, Dawson and Brett in the inner circle, and through the years Buck added himself to the list… (Satchel, too?? Hmmm…)
I think it’s now lost on most people how important Joe McGuff was to the Kansas City sports scene, and how good of a writer he was… I never met him, but he was my inspiration to become a writer… (Somehow I took a detour following MU and now sell beer… LOL)
Plus, Joe might have had the greatest title ever for his book… Thanks to George Brett for the quote, and Joe to be wise enough to use…
When I was 8 or 9, I read a biography of Lou Gehrig and a man who had been deceased for over 30 years became my childhood hero.
Lou started to be affected by his disease in 1938 (some say earlier) and STILL hit .295 with 29 home runs at age 35.
Lou was driven and probably would have played until he was 40. At age 34 he had 2547 hits, 1771 runs , 1880 rbi, 1123 extra base hits including 464 home runs, and 2109 runs created (the most by a 34 year old) He had had 10 years consecutive years with an OPS+ of at least 166. (averaging 190) Add 6 years to that and see what you get!
Dad thought no one would remember him after he retired. Thank you for remembering and thank you for the kind words.
What would the Royals’ medical staff have told Gehrig?
Lou Gehrig was transcendently great. Still one of the 10 greatest major leaguers.
Anything you can do to keep the Iron Horse’s memory alive, and remind people of his greatness as a player and as an inspiration, is a great thing, Joe.
Spud:
“Rub some dirt on it, Lou, you’re good to go.”
They also would have hired a shaman to squeeze out some chicken blood onto Koufax’s arm, rubbed a poultice of wild herbs and cactus fronds into Herb Score’s eye and sent JR Richard to shock therapy after his stroke.
Did we mention they’ve made a few mistakes this year?
Anyway, long live the Iron Horse. Talented, courageous, and ultimately a good and humble man. Someday we will find a cure for ALS, but until then, Gehrig is a constant inspiration for everyone who struggles with this awful disease.
I heard something the other day that I was wondering if you could confirm, Joe: Apparently, that speech wasn’t scheduled, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Joe,
A fitting tribute to both Lou and Joe McGuff.
Bill McGuff,
Please know that I remember your father and his work. You should be, and I’m sure are, proud of him.
Nick
Hey all, i heard this story about Gehrig and i would like to share it. It really is a great story.
Right before he died, he and nine other patients participated in an experimental treatment for his disease. The new drug showed to be effective in slowing the debilitating disease symptoms in 9 of the 10 patients, but unfortunately not for Lou.
When Lou read these results, he smiled his biggest smile and responsed from is heart to his wife in tears “isn’t that wonderful honey! These nine patients will have a chance to live longer than they normally would have without this treatment!? I think this is great news!”
I don’t know how true it is but it sounds pretty spot on as to the kind of person he was.
[...] did the same thing, with a lot more Ernest Hemingway references, for SI this week. As usual, his blog was very good this week as [...]
I’ve heard several times that ALS is almost always fatal within the first couple of years after diagnosis. My dad was diagnosed in the late ’80’s, and is still living a great life. Although he has retired, he is nearly as busy as he’s ever been, doing volunteer work for several charitable foundations (Bikers for Babies, MDA, you name it). I think the key to his extended survival is the unwillingness to allow the disease to overtake him. Just goes to show what a positive attitude can affect. Coincidentally, as a child I read a biography of the Iron Horse, and he became my all-time favorite. This was long before my dad’s diagnosis. Lou, you’re still the greatest.
He’s the greatest first baseman to ever live and A.L.S. was just another hurdle for him to climb.
To Mr. Bill McGuff -
Just wanted to let you know that 29-year-old me just finished reading “Why Me? Why Not Joe McGuff?” and thoroughly enjoyed it. Seems to me that your dad must have had some influence on Mr. Posnanski’s writing!
Cheers,
Aaron
[...] Joe Posnanski ” Blog Archive ” The Iron HorseJoe Posnanski and his good friend Joe McDuff [...]
Kansas Citians might enjoy this recounting of Gehrig’s on-field appearance here, 70 years ago: http://paris-of-the-plains.blogspot.com/2009/06/at-first-one-last-time.html