Major League Baseball (MLB) today honors famed Yankee Great Lou Gehrig, who died on this day in 1941 of ALS, now known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease and still completely uncurable.

The Iron Horse, as he is known for his consecutive game streak, played 17 years for the Yankees and is widely considered one of the greatest players to ever have taken the field. He had to retire at age 36 due to his diease, and in the year immediately preceding his retirement, hit .295 with 29 home runs while barely able to walk.

In our modern media-obsessed era, unless someone slam dunks a basketball to win a game or scores a last-second touchdown to seal a victory, he is not celebrated nor his name even mentioned on the evening sportscast. Consider that compared to Lou Gehrig, who, only scarce months from his demise due to one of the most debilitating diseases humankind confronts, was able to pronounce himself before a stadium crowd as “the luckest man on the face of the earth” to have been able to earn a nice living playing a boy’s sport in the middle of the Great Depression.

Lou Gehrig, the self-proclaimed luckiest man alive, was taken from his blessed life at age 37. You can call his attitude a slam dunk for its humility and appreciation for a life well lived.

President Roanld Reagan was famous for his observation of the “nine scariest words in the English language,” which he said were: “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

True as his observation was — and remains so to this day — he was actually outdone and preceded by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862): “If you see a man approaching you with the obvious intent of doing you good, run for your life.”

When that man works for the government, run even harder.

If yolu watch the 150th running of the Kentucky Derbe today, you will now doubt hear a rendition of “Old Kentucky Home,” which is now a sweet tribute toi the Bluegrass State.

However, the son originated in the days of soavery among the Blacks being enslaed and trade as cattle might be traded. Then song then how “Merry. Happy and Bright” everyone was after a day inthe fields. Next comes a lament:

“By’n by Hard Times comes a knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky Home, good night!.”

To see the rest of the opening before the chorus takes over, go to this website.

The chorus is no less downtrodden:

“The day goes by like a shadow o’er the heart,
With sorrow where all was delight:”

This has nothing to do with English or grammar, but with justice and dignity.

There’s no reason Bill Buckner, baseball great who died today from the ravages of dementia, isn’t in the Baseball Hall of Fame other than that first-base error in the 1986 World Series.

May he rest in peace, and may the gods of baseball justice put him in the Hall of Fame, to rest forever for the talent, strength and dignity he displayed in a 22-year career and afterwards.

Come on, .262-average Ozzie Smith is in the HOF for backflips, and Bill Buckner is denied for one error. Time for justice.

Precisely, The Shadow knows “What evil lurks in the hearts of men.”

I can’t believe this was a radio show. I would’ve sworn “The Shadow” was a television vehicle when I was growing up back in The American Pleistocene (what a book title!).

Alas, it was a radio show, dating me beyond what I even remember.

As for The Shadow, he was played by Orson Welles and others, but here goes — and I beg you to prove that evil doesn’t lurk within all of us, maybe nascent but there nonetheless: