Today is Lou Gehrig’s Day in Major League Baseball, and a local name from Effingham will be part of the league’s observance in a big way this evening.
At Wrigley Field tonight, where the Cubs are hosting the Athletics, Phil Flach of Effingham will be throwing out the first pitch. Phil has been diagnosed with ALS, and he’ll be hosted at the game by Cubs TV broadcaster John “Boog” Sciambi, who lost a close friend to the disease and has been an advocate for ALS awareness. When asked about the pitch, Phil had a sense of humor about it apparently as he joked it’s going to be “a floater.”
While Phil is fighting the disease, his wife Karen has made it her personal mission to build awareness in the community. She’s reaching out to others who have been affected by ALS, working to connect families with resources, and shining a light on efforts like Leon’s Legacy, which raises funds specifically for caregivers of ALS patients, a group she believes often goes overlooked.
June 2nd marks the anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s death in 1941. Gehrig, considered to be one of the greatest players in baseball history, passed away at just 37 years old from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ‘ALS,’ less than two years after his diagnosis. The disease has carried his name ever since, and each year Major League Baseball sets aside this date to draw attention to ALS and the families it affects across the country.
Now, how cool is this?… Have fun tonight Phil!
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