Major League Baseball will hold a sportwide Lou Gehrig Day starting this season, honoring the Hall of Fame New York Yankees first baseman whose grace and courage fighting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis inspired a group of those affected by the disease to make June 2 synonymous with him.
The plans, announced by MLB on Thursday morning, include an annual tribute in which uniformed personnel will wear a jersey patch celebrating Gehrig, and a "4-ALS" logo -- commemorating his No. 4 -- will be displayed around stadiums. The league will use the occasion to raise money and awareness to battle ALS and pay homage to ALS advocacy groups like the LG4Day committee, which turned an off-the-cuff text into a cause that will bring together the sport.