On Wednesday, Prince Fielder announced at a press conference he was retiring after surgery to fuse vertebrae in his neck. Among the questions he was asked was one about Lou Gehrig.
The Yankees great was, of course, diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (now also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) which forced an early end to his career. During Fielder’s session with the media, he was asked if he sort of understands what Gehrig was going through in his now famous speech that included the well-known phrase “I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
#PrinceFielder asked if he "sort of understands what Lou Gehrig was going through in his famous speech" #Rangers pic.twitter.com/DOiohj2XXX
— mfr24 (@mfr234) August 10, 2016
Gehrig was emotional during his speech. Fielder obviously was as well. The comparisons don’t extend much further than that.
Gehrig was diagnosed with a neurological disease that attacks nerve cells and can be fatal. Fielder’s surgery was done with the intent of preserving his quality of life. While he has been advised he should no longer play the game he loves, Fielder being asked that question was odd, to say the least. The only thing more fitting than his reply of “What?” would have been not acknowledging it at all.
H/T Sporting News
