• We received an interesting e-mail today from John Mafrede who just turned 87 years old and we'd like to share it with you all. John promised to write again on his birthday next year. You can be sure that we will publish it.

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Dear Around The Horn:

My name is John Manfrede. I am 87 years old today and I just wanted to drop you a note and say thank you. Today is a day of reflection for me. I don't know how much longer I have to reflect on things but while I can I would like to share some fond thoughts with you.

My wife past away 11 years ago and my second love, baseball has kept me going ever since. Thanks to the internet I can always find some type of news or interaction with our national past time. Of late I have been following your baseball blog, my neighbors son told me about it. Your site has been the first thing I check when I wake up hoping that there is a new post and the last thing I check before I go to bed hoping again that there is another new post.

Sometimes I laugh when you make fun of people and sometimes I learn something (which is not bad for a guy my age) and a few times I had to go and look things up because I didn't even know what you were talking about. But even that was fun as I either learned something new or discovered that you weren't being serious and finally understood the humor (which was funny once I understood it.)

I was born in 1922 and I've been through a lot, have seen a lot and have heard a lot. If they would let me teach all I would have to do is stand up in front of a class and talk about the events I remember that have happened throughout my life and out from my mouth would come what is now known as American history. The fact that I can send you this note in this manner is mind boggling to anyone in my generation.

One of my fondest memories in my entire life is a baseball memory. I was 16 ½ and my father took my younger brother and I to Yankee stadium for a scheduled doubleheader (they had scheduled doubled headers back then) on the 4th of July to see the Yankees play the Washington Senators. My father had gotten the tickets at the stadium for the doubleheader when we went earlier that year on opening day.

As it turns out on June 21st just two weeks before the game the New York Yankees disclosed Lou Gehrig's illness, announced his retirement and proclaimed July 4th  "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium. I'm sure you have all read, heard or maybe even seen what transpired that day, but it is something that I will truly never forget.

You always remember what the weather was like on memorable days in your life. I can remember the weather for just about every day that significant events happened in my life. For your young readers on the East coast, I'm sure you recall how beautiful the weather was the morning of 9/11. It's one of the first things I think about when I think about that tragic day.

Well it was a beautiful sunny day at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. Members of perhaps the most famous baseball team still to this day, the 1927 Yankees World Championship team known as "Murderer's Row", attended the ceremonies. All the dignitary's spoke, Mayor La Guardia, the Postmaster General, Manager Joe McCarthy.

After all the pageantry, celebration and presentations Babe Ruth made a few glowing remarks. And then it happened. Gehrig addressed the crowd:

I'm sure you've all seen the news reels, here's one that's very popular:

For those of you who are interested. Here is the complete speech:

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans

Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for. Thank you." - Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium, July 4, 1939

The following day The New York Times wrote, "Perhaps as colorful and dramatic a pageant as ever was enacted on a baseball field as 61,808 fans thundered a hail and farewell."

That was a memory of mine that I wanted to share with you, I hope you can share it with all your readers.

P.S. - A lot of people have a misconception on what happened to Gehrig after he retired. A few months after he retired Gehrig accepted Mayor LaGuardia's appointment to a ten-year term as a New York City Parole Commissioner. Gehrig indicated he accepted the parole post because it represented an opportunity for public service. He had rejected other job offers - including lucrative speaking and guest appearance opportunities for a lot more money. Gehrig visited New York City's correctional facilities, but insisted that the visits not be covered by news media. Gehrig, as always, quietly and efficiently performed his duties. He was often helped by his wife Eleanor, who would guide his hand when he had to sign official documents. About a month before his death, when Gehrig reached the point where his deteriorating physical condition made it impossible for him to continue in the job, he quietly resigned.

I sincerely hope you've enjoyed reading about my fond baseball memory as much as I enjoy reading your posts. I can't wait to see what you have to say next. - John

For the record we have made John Mafrede our official baseball historian. How could we not?

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