Sports simulation board and digital game company Strat-O-Matic has some interesting initiatives underway around June 2, which MLB said earlier this year they’ll observe as “Lou Gehrig Day” and use as a way to raise funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. Strat-O-Matic is joining that effort, vowing to donate 10 percent of net sales on June 2 to to The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter, the area that covers both where Gehrig played and where the company is based. Interestingly, they’re also running three different Strat-O-Matic simulations centered around Gehrig. Here’s more on that from a release:
Beginning on Monday, May 31, and continuing through Wednesday, Strat-O-Matic will release three simulations by its research team that include an extension of Gehrig’s career past 1939, had he not been stricken with the progressive neurodegenerative disease that often bears his name; a home run derby between Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris; and a contest featuring all-time stars who wore his famed #4.
June 2 was both the day that Gehrig began his consecutive games played streak in 1925, and the date of his death in 1941. In addition to increasing awareness of the disease and fundraising to fight it, Lou Gehrig Day also serves to celebrate those working to end ALS.
“Lou Gehrig’s accomplishments on the field and impact off the field are immense, and we’re pleased to be honoring him as part of baseball’s new Lou Gehrig Day across the sport,” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic President. “We are proud to incorporate a donation to the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter and we hope fans will enjoy the simulations around one of our most popular historical players.”
Strat-O-Matic is celebrating its 60th anniversary as a company this year, and they’ve been doing a number of notable initiatives around that. Those include two MLB sets for 2020 (one based on the limited season that was played, one based on what might have been over a 162-game season) new and/or expanded partnerships with RSNs like NBC Sports Boston and Marquee, and an expanded partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. And their simulations can provide some value at times; we covered San Francisco Giants’ announcers Jon Miller and Dave Flemming calling a Strat-O-Matic simulation from home last April, right around what would have been Opening Day. It will be interesting to see what they come up with for these Gehrig simulations.
