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| :''This article is about the baseball player. For the insurance mogul nicknamed Hank Greenberg, see ].'' | :''This article is about the baseball player. For the insurance mogul nicknamed Hank Greenberg, see ].'' | ||
| '''Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg''' (], ] – ], ]), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank |
'''Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg''' (], ] – ], ]), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank," was an ] ] and ] in ]. | ||
| ==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
| {{MLB HoF}} | {{MLB HoF}} | ||
| He was born in ] to an ]ish family and attended ] High School in ], where he was an outstanding all-around athlete. His preferred sport was baseball, and his preferred position was ]. In 1929, he was recruited by the ], who already had a capable first baseman: ]. Greenberg turned them down and attended ] for a year, after which he signed with the ]. | He was born in ] to an ]ish family and attended ] High School in ], where he was an outstanding all-around athlete. His preferred sport was ], and his preferred position was ]. In 1929, he was recruited by the ], who already had a capable first baseman: ]. Greenberg turned them down and attended ] for a year, after which he signed with the ]. | ||
| ==Early career== | ==Early career== | ||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
| In 1933, he joined the Tigers and ] .301 while ] in 87 runs. | In 1933, he joined the Tigers and ] .301 while ] in 87 runs. | ||
| Starring as a first baseman and ] with the ] (1930, 1933- |
Starring as a first baseman and ] with the ] (1930, 1933-46), and briefly with the ] (1947), he played only nine full seasons. He missed three full seasons and most of two others to military service during ], and missed most of another season with a broken wrist. In seven of the nine years in which he was active, he was one of the dominant players in the game, beginning in ], his second major-league season, he helped the Tigers reach their first ] in 25 years. The next year Greenberg led the Tigers to their first World Series title. He received the ]'s ] Award for 1935. | ||
| As a fielder, the 6'4" Greenberg was awkward and unsure of himself early in his career, but he mastered his first-base position through countless hours of practice. When he was asked to move to the outfield in 1940 to make room for Rudy York, he worked tirelessly to master that position as well. | As a fielder, the 6'4" Greenberg was awkward and unsure of himself early in his career, but he mastered his first-base position through countless hours of practice. When he was asked to move to the outfield in 1940 to make room for ], he worked tirelessly to master that position as well. | ||
| ==Records and Baseball style== | ==Records and Baseball style== | ||
| A prodigious home |
A prodigious ] hitter, he narrowly missed breaking ]'s single-season home-run record in ], when he hit 58 home runs. The story goes that several pitchers intentionally walked Greenberg towards the end of the season rather than give a ]ish man a chance to break Babe Ruth's record. (There is some reason to dispute this as a motive. It is true that the ] did not give Greenberg good pitches to hit during the last week of the season; it is also true that Detroit and Cleveland were battling for third place, which in those days carried with it a share of World Series profits, so Cleveland players had a financial interest in keeping Greenberg from hitting home runs.) | ||
| For his own part, Greenberg felt that runs batted in were more important than home runs. He would tell his teammates, "just get on base |
For his own part, Greenberg felt that runs batted in were more important than home runs. He would tell his teammates, "just get on base," or "just get the runner to third," and he would do the rest. He batted in 170 runs in 1935 and in 1937 topped that with 183 (third all-time behind ] in 1930 and ] in 1931). | ||
| After moving to the outfield in ], Greenberg led the Tigers to a pennant and won his second MVP award, becoming at the time |
After moving to the outfield in ], Greenberg led the Tigers to a ] and won his second MVP award, becoming at the time only the second player ever to win the MVP award at two different positions. | ||
| ==WWII Service== | ==WWII Service== | ||
| The Detroit ] initially classified Greenberg as ] for "flat feet." Rumors that he had bribed the board and concern that he would be likened to ], who received negative publicity for failure to serve in World War I, led Greenberg to be reexamined, and he was found fit to serve. | The Detroit ] initially classified Greenberg as ] for "flat feet." Rumors that he had bribed the board, and concern that he would be likened to ], who received negative publicity for failure to serve in World War I, led Greenberg to be reexamined, and he was found fit to serve. | ||
| Although drafted in 1940, he was honorably discharged after Congress released men aged 28 years or older from service, being released on December 5, 1941, two days before the Japanese bombed ]. Greenberg re-enlisted and volunteered for service in the ]. He graduated from ] and was commissioned as a ]. He eventually served overseas in the China-Burma-India theater, scouting locations for B-29 bases. | Although drafted in 1940, he was honorably discharged after ] released men aged 28 years or older from service, being released on December 5, ], two days before the Japanese bombed ]. Greenberg re-enlisted and volunteered for service in the ]. He graduated from ] and was commissioned as a ]. He eventually served overseas in the China-Burma-India theater, scouting locations for ] bases. | ||
| ==Return to Baseball== | ==Return to Baseball== | ||
| Greenberg remained in uniform until the summer of 1945. Without the benefit of spring training, he returned to the Tigers and helped lead them to a come-from-behind American League pennant, clinching it with a grand-slam home run on the final game of the season. In ] he returned to peak form. | Greenberg remained in uniform until the summer of ]. Without the benefit of spring training, he returned to the Tigers and helped lead them to a come-from-behind American League pennant, clinching it with a grand-slam home run on the final game of the season. In ] he returned to peak form. | ||
| It is often estimated that Greenberg, had he played in another era uninterrupted by war, would have amassed between 500 and 600 home runs and 1,800 to 2,000 RBI. As it is, his totals of 331 home runs and 1,276 RBI are amazing for a 1,394-game career. He also hit for average, batting .313. | It is often estimated that Greenberg, had he played in another era uninterrupted by war, would have amassed between 500 and 600 home runs and 1,800 to 2,000 RBI. As it is, his totals of 331 home runs and 1,276 RBI are amazing for a 1,394-game career. He also hit for average, batting .313. | ||
| In ], Greenberg and the Tigers had a lengthy salary dispute. When Greenberg decided to retire rather than play for less, Detroit traded him to the ]. To persuade him not to retire, Pittsburgh made Greenberg the first baseball player to earn over $100,000 in a season (though the exact amount is a matter of some dispute). Team co-owner ] recorded a song, "Goodbye, Mr. Ball, Goodbye" with ] and Greenberg, to celebrate Greenberg's arrival. The Pirates also moved in the seats in Forbes Field's cavernous left field, renaming the section "Greenberg's Gardens |
In ], Greenberg and the Tigers had a lengthy salary dispute. When Greenberg decided to retire rather than play for less, Detroit traded him to the ]. To persuade him not to retire, Pittsburgh made Greenberg the first baseball player to earn over $100,000 in a season (though the exact amount is a matter of some dispute). Team co-owner ] recorded a song, "Goodbye, Mr. Ball, Goodbye" with ] and Greenberg, to celebrate Greenberg's arrival. The Pirates also moved in the seats in ]'s cavernous left field, renaming the section "Greenberg's Gardens," to accommodate Greenberg's pull-hitting style. Greenberg played first base for the Pirates for 1947, and was one of the few opposing players to publicly welcome ] to the majors. | ||
| ==Coaching and ownership== | ==Coaching and ownership== | ||
| The following year, Greenberg retired from the field to become the ]' farm system director and two years later, their general manager and part-owner along with ]. His contributions in finding and developing talent contributed to that team's successes through the 1950s, though ] wrote that Greenberg should also be given partial credit for the Indians' late 1950s collapse due to questionable personnel decisions.<ref>James, Bill ''The New Bill Janes Historical Baseball Abstract'' New York: Free Press (2001) p. 435 ISBN 0684806975</ref> He followed Veeck to the ] as part-owner. | The following year, Greenberg retired from the field to become the ]' farm system director and two years later, their general manager and part-owner along with ]. His contributions in finding and developing talent contributed to that team's successes through the ], though ] wrote that Greenberg should also be given partial credit for the Indians' late 1950s collapse due to questionable personnel decisions.<ref>James, Bill ''The New Bill Janes Historical Baseball Abstract'' New York: Free Press (2001) p. 435 ISBN 0684806975</ref> He followed Veeck to the ] as part-owner. | ||
| Greenberg sold off his share of the White Sox in ] after the American League announced plans to put a team in ]. He immediately became the favorite to become the new team's first owner, and persuaded Veeck, who had sold off his majority interest in the White Sox due to poor health, to join him as his partner. However, when ] owner ] got word of these developments, he threatened to scuttle the whole deal by invoking his exclusive rights to operate a major league team in Southern California. In truth, O'Malley wanted no part of having to compete against an expansion team owned by a master promoter such as Veeck. Greenberg wouldn't budge, and pulled out of the running for what became the Los Angeles Angels (now the ]). He later became a successful investment banker. | Greenberg sold off his share of the White Sox in ] after the American League announced plans to put a team in ]. He immediately became the favorite to become the new team's first owner, and persuaded Veeck, who had sold off his majority interest in the White Sox due to poor health, to join him as his partner. However, when ] owner ] got word of these developments, he threatened to scuttle the whole deal by invoking his exclusive rights to operate a major league team in Southern California. In truth, O'Malley wanted no part of having to compete against an expansion team owned by a master promoter such as Veeck. Greenberg wouldn't budge, and pulled out of the running for what became the Los Angeles Angels (now the ]). He later became a successful ]. | ||
| ==Family== | ==Family== | ||
| He married Coral ] (of the New York department store family) on ], ], three days after signing a $60,000 contract with the Tigers. Their son, Steven, played five years in the Washington Senators and ] organizations. In ], Steve Greenberg founded Classic Sports Network, which was purchased by ] and became ]. | He married Coral ] (of the New York department store family) on ], ], three days after signing a $60,000 contract with the Tigers. Their son, Steven, played five years in the ] and ] organizations. In ], Steve Greenberg founded ], which was purchased by ] and became ]. | ||
| ==Honors== | ==Honors== | ||
| * ], ] and ]. | * ], ] and ]. | ||
| * American League All-Star team, ]-]. | * American League ] team, ]-]. | ||
| * First Jewish player elected to the ], in ]. | * First Jewish player elected to the ], in ]. | ||
| * In ], despite injuries and wartime service that essentially limited him to half a career, he ranked Number 37 on '']''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the ] All-Century Team. | * In ], despite injuries and wartime service that essentially limited him to half a career, he ranked Number 37 on '']''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the ] All-Century Team. | ||
| Line 80: | Line 80: | ||
| ==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
| Greenberg was |
Greenberg was a sports icon in the ] community. | ||
| Greenberg was not the first ]ish man to play major-league baseball, but by the end of his career he had become by far the best Jewish player ever, and the first major Jewish star. In the 50 years since Greenberg's retirement, only ] achieved similar success among Jewish players. Greenberg was subject to the most vicious ethnic taunting seen in the sport prior to the arrival of ] in ], yet Greenberg nevertheless became a first-rank ballplayer |
Greenberg was not the first ]ish man to play major-league baseball, but by the end of his career he had become by far the best Jewish player ever, and the first major Jewish star. In the 50 years since Greenberg's retirement, only ] achieved similar success among Jewish players. | ||
| Greenberg was subject to the most vicious ethnic taunting seen in the sport prior to the arrival of ] in ], yet Greenberg nevertheless became a first-rank ballplayer. | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 03:33, 24 August 2006
Baseball player| Hank Greenberg | |
|---|---|
| debut | |
| September 14, 1930, Detroit Tigers | |
Stats at Baseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Detroit Tigers (1930-1946) Pittsburgh Pirates (1947) |
- This article is about the baseball player. For the insurance mogul nicknamed Hank Greenberg, see Maurice R. Greenberg.
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg (January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank," was an American first baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball.
Early life
Template:MLB HoF He was born in New York City to an Orthodox Jewish family and attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx, where he was an outstanding all-around athlete. His preferred sport was baseball, and his preferred position was first base. In 1929, he was recruited by the New York Yankees, who already had a capable first baseman: Lou Gehrig. Greenberg turned them down and attended New York University for a year, after which he signed with the Detroit Tigers.
Early career
He played minor league baseball for three years, and was named Most Valuable Player in the Texas League.
In 1933, he joined the Tigers and hit .301 while driving in 87 runs.
Starring as a first baseman and outfielder with the Detroit Tigers (1930, 1933-46), and briefly with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947), he played only nine full seasons. He missed three full seasons and most of two others to military service during World War II, and missed most of another season with a broken wrist. In seven of the nine years in which he was active, he was one of the dominant players in the game, beginning in 1934, his second major-league season, he helped the Tigers reach their first World Series in 25 years. The next year Greenberg led the Tigers to their first World Series title. He received the American League's Most Valuable Player Award for 1935.
As a fielder, the 6'4" Greenberg was awkward and unsure of himself early in his career, but he mastered his first-base position through countless hours of practice. When he was asked to move to the outfield in 1940 to make room for Rudy York, he worked tirelessly to master that position as well.
Records and Baseball style
A prodigious home run hitter, he narrowly missed breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home-run record in 1938, when he hit 58 home runs. The story goes that several pitchers intentionally walked Greenberg towards the end of the season rather than give a Jewish man a chance to break Babe Ruth's record. (There is some reason to dispute this as a motive. It is true that the Cleveland Indians did not give Greenberg good pitches to hit during the last week of the season; it is also true that Detroit and Cleveland were battling for third place, which in those days carried with it a share of World Series profits, so Cleveland players had a financial interest in keeping Greenberg from hitting home runs.)
For his own part, Greenberg felt that runs batted in were more important than home runs. He would tell his teammates, "just get on base," or "just get the runner to third," and he would do the rest. He batted in 170 runs in 1935 and in 1937 topped that with 183 (third all-time behind Hack Wilson in 1930 and Lou Gehrig in 1931).
After moving to the outfield in 1940, Greenberg led the Tigers to a pennant and won his second MVP award, becoming at the time only the second player ever to win the MVP award at two different positions.
WWII Service
The Detroit draft board initially classified Greenberg as 4F for "flat feet." Rumors that he had bribed the board, and concern that he would be likened to Jack Dempsey, who received negative publicity for failure to serve in World War I, led Greenberg to be reexamined, and he was found fit to serve.
Although drafted in 1940, he was honorably discharged after Congress released men aged 28 years or older from service, being released on December 5, 1941, two days before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Greenberg re-enlisted and volunteered for service in the United States Army Air Forces. He graduated from Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a first lieutenant. He eventually served overseas in the China-Burma-India theater, scouting locations for B-29 bases.
Return to Baseball
Greenberg remained in uniform until the summer of 1945. Without the benefit of spring training, he returned to the Tigers and helped lead them to a come-from-behind American League pennant, clinching it with a grand-slam home run on the final game of the season. In 1946 he returned to peak form.
It is often estimated that Greenberg, had he played in another era uninterrupted by war, would have amassed between 500 and 600 home runs and 1,800 to 2,000 RBI. As it is, his totals of 331 home runs and 1,276 RBI are amazing for a 1,394-game career. He also hit for average, batting .313.
In 1947, Greenberg and the Tigers had a lengthy salary dispute. When Greenberg decided to retire rather than play for less, Detroit traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates. To persuade him not to retire, Pittsburgh made Greenberg the first baseball player to earn over $100,000 in a season (though the exact amount is a matter of some dispute). Team co-owner Bing Crosby recorded a song, "Goodbye, Mr. Ball, Goodbye" with Groucho Marx and Greenberg, to celebrate Greenberg's arrival. The Pirates also moved in the seats in Forbes Field's cavernous left field, renaming the section "Greenberg's Gardens," to accommodate Greenberg's pull-hitting style. Greenberg played first base for the Pirates for 1947, and was one of the few opposing players to publicly welcome Jackie Robinson to the majors.
Coaching and ownership
The following year, Greenberg retired from the field to become the Cleveland Indians' farm system director and two years later, their general manager and part-owner along with Bill Veeck. His contributions in finding and developing talent contributed to that team's successes through the 1950s, though Bill James wrote that Greenberg should also be given partial credit for the Indians' late 1950s collapse due to questionable personnel decisions. He followed Veeck to the Chicago White Sox as part-owner.
Greenberg sold off his share of the White Sox in 1961 after the American League announced plans to put a team in Los Angeles. He immediately became the favorite to become the new team's first owner, and persuaded Veeck, who had sold off his majority interest in the White Sox due to poor health, to join him as his partner. However, when Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley got word of these developments, he threatened to scuttle the whole deal by invoking his exclusive rights to operate a major league team in Southern California. In truth, O'Malley wanted no part of having to compete against an expansion team owned by a master promoter such as Veeck. Greenberg wouldn't budge, and pulled out of the running for what became the Los Angeles Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim). He later became a successful investment banker.
Family
He married Coral Gimbel (of the New York department store family) on February 18, 1946, three days after signing a $60,000 contract with the Tigers. Their son, Steven, played five years in the Washington Senators and Texas Rangers organizations. In 1995, Steve Greenberg founded Classic Sports Network, which was purchased by ESPN and became ESPN Classic.
Honors
- American League Most Valuable Player, 1935 and 1940.
- American League All-Star team, 1937-1940.
- First Jewish player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, in 1956.
- In 1999, despite injuries and wartime service that essentially limited him to half a career, he ranked Number 37 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
Greenberg died in Beverly Hills, California and his remains were entombed at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Documentary: The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, 2000.
Autobiography: The Story of My Life, ISBN 1892049236
In 2006, Greenberg will be featured on a United States postage stamp . The stamp is one of a block of four honoring Baseball Sluggers.
Legacy
Greenberg was a sports icon in the Jewish American community.
Greenberg was not the first Jewish man to play major-league baseball, but by the end of his career he had become by far the best Jewish player ever, and the first major Jewish star. In the 50 years since Greenberg's retirement, only Sandy Koufax achieved similar success among Jewish players.
Greenberg was subject to the most vicious ethnic taunting seen in the sport prior to the arrival of Jackie Robinson in 1947, yet Greenberg nevertheless became a first-rank ballplayer.
See also
References
- James, Bill The New Bill Janes Historical Baseball Abstract New York: Free Press (2001) p. 435 ISBN 0684806975
External links
- Baseball Almanac
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Greenberg's statistics at Baseball-Reference.com
- Biography at Jewish Virtual Library
- WWII and Baseball article
| Preceded byMickey Cochrane | American League Most Valuable Player 1935 |
Succeeded byLou Gehrig |
| Preceded byJoe DiMaggio | American League Most Valuable Player 1940 |
Succeeded byJoe DiMaggio |
- 1911 births
- 1986 deaths
- 1937 American League All-Stars
- 1938 American League All-Stars
- 1939 American League All-Stars
- 1940 American League All-Stars
- 1945 All-Star Game (unofficial)
- 1935 Detroit Tigers World Series Championship Team
- 1945 Detroit Tigers World Series Championship Team
- American World War II veterans
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- People from the Bronx
- Cleveland Indians executives
- Detroit Tigers players
- Jewish American sportspeople
- Major league first basemen
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Jewish baseball players
- Major league players from New York