Tampa Bay Rays help in fight against ALS

June 30, 7:29 PMTampa Mind and Body ExaminerNancy Nahas

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MLB has teamed up with four ALS organizations to help find a cure.

The Tampa Bay Rays will honor Lou Gehrig and help fight ALS, the disease that claimed his life, when they play the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Saturday.

It has been 70 years since Gehrig, just diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis called himself the “luckiest man alive” during his famous speech at Yankee Stadium. Gehrig survived just two more years with ALS, which destroys muscle-controlling nerve cells and leads to paralysis.

The effort, 4♦ALS Awareness, teams up Major League Baseball with the ALS Association, ALS TDI, Augie's Quest (the Muscular Dystrophy Association's ALS research initiative), and Project A.L.S  to raise awareness and money to combat the disease.

The Rays, along with all major league baseball teams playing games on Saturday, will wear a 4♦ALS patch on their uniforms and pause during the 7^th-inning stretch as Gehrig’s infamous words are read. MLB will also host an online auction to raise money.

"We are honored and pleased to have the opportunity to join these four important organizations in an attempt to make progress in the fight against ALS, a disease that is associated with one of the greatest players in baseball history," MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "Lou Gehrig displayed tremendous courage and strength in the face of a debilitating illness, and his speech 70 years ago still stands as one of the defining moments in baseball history."