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Wednesday marked the inaugural Lou Gehrig Day across Major League Baseball. The day celebrates the life of Gehrig, a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, and beyond that it's an initiative to raise awareness and solely needed funds to fight Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the remorseless neurological disease that took Gehrig's life. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.  

ALS cripples the neurological system, and most afflicted with the disease lose the ability to talk, walk, eat and speak or even breathe on their own. Most die within three to five years of diagnosis. There is not yet a cure for ALS. More: 

In addition to the luminous example of Gehrig, ALS has also touched the baseball world in other ways. In 2018, the mother of A's outfielder Stephen Piscotty passed away after her battle with ALS. As well, Cubs broadcaster Boog Sciambi has long been an active fundraiser for those affected by ALS -- a mission of conscience he undertakes in honor of his late friend Tim Sheehy. Sciambi works through the Project Main St. charity. Those are but two of many examples.

Gehrig, the Yankees legend, is perhaps best remembered for his July 4, 1939 "luckiest man" speech, which is squarely part of the sport's iconography. The speech came at a time when Gehrig was in decline but still harrowingly uncertain as to the nature of his malaise: 

Less than two years later, Gehrig succumbed to ALS. 

To mark the day named in his honor, all 30 teams planned unique schedules of special events to honor Gehrig and more broadly all attention to the ongoing battle against ALS. As well, MLB and its constituent teams have a number of fund-raising initiatives planned. Fans can donate to the cause and participate in charity auctions by going here. 

Also, this video was to be played in all MLB ballparks on Wednesday:

Steve Gleason, the former NFL player who's been fighting ALS for several years, was on hand with his family at Wrigley Field on Wednesday for the Padres-Cubs series finale: 

The 2016 documentary film "Gleason" tells the story of his and his family's ongoing struggles to cope with the disease. 

June 2 was chosen as Lou Gehrig Day because it's the date on which he became the Yankees' starting first baseman in 1925. His streak of consecutive games played started the previous day and would span 2,130 games. The record would stand until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it in September of 1995. Speaking of which, Ripken to mark the occasion spoke about Gehrig and their shared histories:  

And here's a look at the sleeve patches all players are wearing on Wednesday: 

ALS has of course affected the lives of fans, too, and Lou Gehrig Day served as an acute reminder of that fact. All across baseball fans and even team employees who are battling ALS were honored in various ways. The Yankees, Gehrig's team for the entirety of his 17-year career, were among the teams to put a human face on the disease: 

In addition to the MLB-led efforts and Project Main St., charities devoted to ALS research such as the ALS Therapy Development Institute and Augie's Quest are also worthy ways to help the cause of fighting ALS.