Bob Feller: I'm Luckier Than Lou Gehrig

If you enjoy old-timey baseball players, there's a pretty swell story in today's New York Times. Jack Curry catches up with the only two living players from the 1939 All-Star Game, played at Yankee Stadium. Lonny Frey and Bob Feller are both generous with stories about the old days. Each one falls into a stereotypical description of the former athlete.

Frey comes off as a lucky to be there sort of guy, both in his stories about the old days and, at 98, today. Feller, on the other hand, is a back in my day everything was better type who certainly feels no shame about sharing his thoughts on any topic.

Curry recalls that the honorary A.L. captain was Lou Gehrig. Two months after retirement and a week after the luckiest man alive speech, Gehrig didn't have long to live. He asked both players for their memories.

Frey said he remembered Gehrig's powerful words and felt sympathy for a fellow player. Feller said Gehrig's speech grew more powerful as the years passed. Regarding Gehrig saying he was the "luckiest man," Feller bluntly said: "He's wrong. I am. I'm still alive."

Take that, Iron Horse! He's not wrong. In the general scheme of things he's much luckier than Gehrig, I'm just a bit surprised that's actually the way he thinks about it.