70 years ago today, baseball's most famous speech

Every MLB team today will have a moment to honor Lou Gehrig, who delivered his famous speech on July 4, 1939 at Yankee Stadium. Even people who know very little about baseball are able to place a name next to the phrase, "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

It was only a brief speech by the Columbia-educated Gehrig, arguably the greatest first baseman of all-time. It catapulted into the mainstream a year after Gehrig's death in the movie, "The Pride of the Yankees."

Today's ceremonies are also meant to raise awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), now known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

His qualities as a person were always admired,” said broadcaster Bob Costas to the New York Times. “But that admiration grows when contrasted with the graceless, self-regarding personas of so many present-day public figures.”

Read: Lou Gehrig's farewell address.