"Yankee Prince" -Lou Gehrig
這兩天看許紹彥寫的《美國棒球巨星》
認識了"洋基王子"賈里格Henry Louis Gehrig
他真的是一個很棒的人
雖然比不上Babe Ruth那樣有名,熱情活力且人氣高又備受媒體矚目
但Gehrig默默努力的付出,對於自己要求高,負責任而且孝順...
不像一般球員那樣 有錢了出名了就花天酒地夜夜笙歌
「人們說他最初和女人約會時很害羞, 常會會臉紅.他去好萊塢演過一部電影, 但他規規矩矩沒有被妖艷的女星引誘. 有次和太太去百貨公司購物, 球迷湧來, 後來他竟然躲在洗手間裡. 他很老實, 有次在脫口秀節目中, 人們問他吃的穀類早餐是什麼牌子的? 他隨口就說出他真正吃的牌子, 而忘了他是要替另一家公司的產品做廣告的! 他總是衣服穿得整整齊齊, 不忘記他是代表著最有名球隊的球星. 他的簽名也和他的人一樣, 寫得工工整整. 去看電影時總是等在車內, 直到電影開演了才進入, 因為他不要驚動別人.」 -引用《美國棒球巨星》p.25
暫不論他在美國棒球史上超多的完美表現和紀錄
有純真高貴的性格和認真的品行態度
稱他為王子一點也不為過!
賈里格只活了38歲.
在1938年後身體開始出了問題
後來診斷出得到ALS (神精細胞衰退導致肌肉萎縮.癱瘓)
一種身體會漸漸退化萎縮的絕症
一個被稱為鐵馬"Iron Horse"的大球星
在臨死前比嬰兒更軟弱
無法拿東西, 無法走路...連衣服都不能自己穿上...
俗話說好人不長命
真的讓人感嘆
在同年7月4日那天,
洋基隊為他舉行"賈里格日"
將賈里格的球衣背號4號退休, 這是美國球隊第一次這樣做的!
在他要離開球場時,
不會講話的賈里格流淚說出美國棒球史最感人的話:
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been to ballparks for seventeen years and I 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 have considered 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 the white coats remember you with trophies, that's something. When you have a father and 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 by saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for. Thank you."
當賈里格講完後, 全場歡聲雷動!
和他冷戰很久的Babe Ruth上前擁抱他!
這個情景被拍成照片永垂不朽
賈里格夫人曾形容他:
"這樣美的人, 像岩石般的健壯, 像孩童般的純真無邪"
Lou Gehrig是洋基球迷心中永遠的王子!!
球員們追隨的目標!!
後記*
我昨天一直跟我媽嚷嚷
"我終於找到我的菜了!!!!!"
老媽整個不想理我XD
我還繼續說
"如果遇到這款人我一定會死巴著他的腳不放!"
"而且我一定會變得超積極上進認真無比的!!"
認真的...
*
關於生涯紀錄我都省略了, 只寫到態度!
其實他打擊超威!
請參考...
Living Legacies: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/alumni/Magazine/Fall2001/Gehrig.html
書:許紹彥《美國棒球巨星》, 探索文化, 民國86年出版
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