“I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth. And I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.” Major League Baseball and Candy Digital, a next-generation digital collectible company, unveiled on Wednesday their first officially licensed NFT, a one-of-one piece of history that commemorates Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” speech. Delivered on July 4, 1939, the speech was Gehrig’s formal farewell from baseball after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS. 

The digital collectible features video excerpts of the iconic speech and a three-dimensional bust of Gehrig in an iron finish, representing his legacy as baseball’s “Iron Horse.” The bust also includes authentic details, such as the Baseball Centennial patch on his uniform and the iconic bend of Gehrig’s hat. The auction for this exclusive NFT opens on Sunday, the Fourth of July, which is the 82nd anniversary of Gehrig’s historic speech. Fans can visit www.candy.com to sign up for notifications ahead of the auction, which lasts four days and closes at 7 p.m. ET on July 8.Candy will also be releasing a limited-edition NFT of the bust itself in bronze, giving fans more access to owning a piece of baseball history. These 100 NFTs will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, with fans able to easily purchase one by credit card.

CMG Worldwide, the official representative of Lou Gehrig’s estate, is honored that the MLB and Candy decided to honor one of the game’s greatest figures in their first officially licensed NFT launch. The collection not only commemorates his powerful words, but all proceeds from the sales will support ALS charities, including The Lou Gehrig Society, The Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General and The ALS Association. It is an incredibly unique opportunity to be able to permanently maintain Gehrig’s incredible legacy in the blockchain while helping in the ongoing fight against ALS.