New York Yankees celebrate MLB's inaugural Lou Gehrig Day

Major League Baseball has marked its first Lou Gehrig Day, with teams wearing a commemorative patch on their uniforms and ballparks featuring “4-ALS” logos.

Gehrig, the Hall of Famer who wore jersey No. 4, took over as the starting first baseman for the New York Yankees on June 2, 1925, beginning a streak of 2,130 consecutive games that earned him the nickname of “The Iron Horse.”

The Yankee was best known for his "luckiest man" speech on July 4, 1939, when he said farewell to baseball.

He died nearly two years later on June 2, 1941, at age 37 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - known commonly as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“It does cause you to stop and reflect a little bit, and really make you happy that MLB has started this day to hopefully raise awareness for such an awful disease,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.