Aaron Boone and Gerrit Cole helped make Sarah Langs’ birthday feel extra special on May 2, 2026. The Yankees gave the MLB.com writer and researcher an autographed Lou Gehrig Day bat.

The MLB community celebrates Sarah Langs’ birthday on May 2 to honor her journey. Diagnosed with ALS at age 28 in 2021, Langs has used her platform to bring awareness to the disease that ended the life of Gehrig in 1941.

Langs' birthday is memorable because it marks the day when Yankees Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig voluntarily removed himself from the Yankees' lineup in 1939, 87 years ago.

Lou Gehrig Day is held on June 2 because that was the day Gehrig first took the field as the Yankees’ starting first baseman in 1925, the start of his 2,130-game streak, and it also marks the day he passed away in 1941, to raise ALS awareness and support research and charities linked to the disease.

Back in 2023, the club honored Langs during the 84th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's 'Luckiest Man' speech. Langs was the honoree participating in a pregame ceremony where Yankees players like Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, and Anthony Rizzo joined her in reading portions of Gehrig's historic address.

Langs was permitted to wear Gehrig's actual game-used cap and hold his game-used bat in the Yankees Museum.

Just a few days ago, Manager Boone and several Yankees players visited Boston Children's Hospital on their road series to Boston.

During this visit, they surprised a seven-year-old fan named Walker, known as 'the heart warrior.' Walker, a dedicated Yankees fan, was born with a congenital heart defect, and he is waiting for a transplant.

Emmet Sheehan keeps the message alive

The birthday love for Langs did not stop in New York. Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan also honored Langs on May 2 by dedicating his 'K ALS' glove to her for advocating for people struggling with ALS.

As a way of showing my appreciation," Sheehan said in a video shared by MLB, "I wanted to give you one of these gloves for your birthday and make sure you had one. Thanks for everything, and happy birthday."

May is National ALS Awareness Month. But Sheehan has worn the 'K ALS' message on his glove since his college days. Sheehan went to Boston College, the same school as Pete Frates, who helped spark the Ice Bucket Challenge and became a major ALS voice before his death.

"Pete was still around when I was at BC, and it was a huge inspiration for all of us," Sheehan said. "And I just decided to keep it going after."

The baseball world is still rallying behind Langs, proving the fight against ALS is bigger than the game.

How special is it to see the baseball community come together for Sarah Langs and the fight against ALS? Comment down below!

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Written by

Md Saife Fida

Edited by

Utsav Gupta