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This article is about the baseball player. For the insurance mogul nicknamed Hank Greenberg, see Maurice R. Greenberg. Maurice R "Hank" Greenberg (born May 4, 1925 in New York City) is an American Businessman and former chairman and CEO of
Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
First baseman
Born: January 1, 1911(1911-01-01)
New York, New York
Died: September 4, 1986 (aged 75)
Beverly Hills, California
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 14, 1930
for the Detroit Tigers
Final game
September 18, 1947
for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Career statistics
Batting average     . First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over St Louis Cardinals (4-2 Awards and honors The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 All-Star Game The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 313
Home runs     331
Runs batted in     1,276
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Elected     1956
Vote     85% (eighth ballot)

Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg (January 1, 1911, New York, New York – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over St Louis Cardinals (4-2 Awards and honors Headline Event of the Year First Negro League Baseball All-Star Game. Headline events of the year Joe Dimaggio hits in 56 consecutive games Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs (4-3 All-Star Game Champions Major League Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox (4-3 All-Star Game The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The 1935 World Series featured the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs, with the Tigers winning in six games for their first championship in five Series appearances The 1945 World Series matched the American League Detroit Tigers against the National League Chicago Cubs. The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 Don Larsen, MVP New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The City of New York Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be

A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA He hit 58 home runs in 1938, equalling Jimmie Foxx's 1932 mark, as the most in one season by any player between 1927--when Babe Ruth set a record of 60--and 1961--when Roger Maris surpassed it. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs (4-0 All-Star Game Headline Event of the Year Murderers' Row lead New York Yankees to World Series victory George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Headline Event of the Year Roger Maris hits 61 home runs breaking Babe Ruth 's record Roger Eugene Maris ( September 10 1934 &ndash December 14 1985) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball He was a five-time All-Star, was twice named the American League's Most Valuable Player, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1956. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 Don Larsen, MVP

Greenberg was also one of the first Jewish superstars in American professional sports. [1] He garnered national attention in 1934 when he refused to play baseball on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, even though the Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers (4-3 All-Star Game Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּפּוּר ˈjɔm kiˈpur also known in English as the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays Its

Contents

Early life

Greenberg was born on January 1, 1911 in New York City to an Orthodox Jewish family. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The City of New York Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized Greenberg lacked coordination as a youngster, and flat feet prevented him from running fast. [1] But he worked diligently to overcome his inadequacies. He attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx, where he was an outstanding all-around athlete. James Monroe High School was a New York City public school located in the Soundview section of the Bronx His preferred sport was baseball, and his preferred position was first base. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run He became a basketball standout in high school, helping Monroe win the city championship. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m [2]

In 1929, he was recruited by the New York Yankees, who already had a capable first baseman who was known for not sitting out games: Lou Gehrig. Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs (4-1 Awards and honors The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Greenberg turned them down and instead attended New York University for a year, after which he signed with the Detroit Tigers for $9,000. New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA

Minor League career

Greenberg played minor league baseball for three years. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North

Greenberg played 17 games in 1930 for Hartford, then played at Raleigh, North Carolina, where he hit . Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over St Louis Cardinals (4-2 Awards and honors Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA 314 with 19 home runs.

In 1931, he played at Evansville in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (. Champions World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Philadelphia Athletics (4-3 Awards and honors Evansville (ˈɛvənzˌvɪl is the third-largest city in the U The Illinois - Indiana - Iowa League was a Minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years mostly in those three 318, 15 homers, 85 RBIs).

In 1932, at Beaumont in the Texas League, he hit 39 homers with 131 RBIs, won the MVP award, and led Beaumont to the Texas League title. Champions World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs (4-0 Negro League World Series: Pittsburgh Crawfords Beaumont is a city in and the County seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont&ndash Port Arthur Metropolitan The Texas League is a Minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States.

During the season, one of his teammates (Jo-Jo White) walked slowly around Greenberg, staring at him. Joyner Clifford "Jo-Jo" White ( June 1, 1909 – October 9, 1986) was an American Center fielder in Greenberg asked him what he was looking at. White said he was just looking, as he'd never seen a Jew before. "The way he said it," noted Greenberg, "he might as well have said, 'I've never seen a giraffe before. The giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African Even-toed ungulate Mammal, the tallest of all land-living Animal Species '" I let him keep looking for a while, and then I said, 'See anything interesting?'" Looking for horns and finding none, White said, "You're just like everyone else. "

Early Major League career

In seven of the nine years in which he was active, Greenberg was one of the dominant players in the game. He has the eighth-highest slugging percentage lifetime of any ballplayer in major league history, at . 605, ahead of such sluggers as Mark McGwire and Joe DiMaggio. Mark David McGwire (born October 1 1963 in Pomona California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his Major League career with the Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe

In 1930 he was the youngest player in the majors when he first broke in, at 19. Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over St Louis Cardinals (4-2 Awards and honors

In 1933, he rejoined the Tigers and hit . Headline Event of the Year First Negro League Baseball All-Star Game. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 301 while driving in 87 runs. At the same time, he was third in the league in strikeouts (78).

In 1934, his second major-league season, he hit . Champions Major League Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers (4-3 All-Star Game 339 and helped the Tigers reach their first World Series in 25 years. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. He led the league in doubles, with 63. He was 3rd in the AL in slugging percentage (. 600) -- behind Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig, but ahead of Babe Ruth, and in RBIs (139). James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx ( October 22 - July 21) ( nicknamed Double X and The Beast) was an American First Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of

Late in the 1934 season, he announced that he would not play on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה literally "head of the year" Biblical: ˈɾoʃ haʃːɔˈnɔh Israeli haʃaˈna Yiddish: hɑˈʃɔnə is a Jewish Fans grumbled, "Rosh Hashanah comes every year but the Tigers haven't won the pennant since 1909. Champions World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Detroit Tigers (4-3 Awards and honors MLB Statistical " Greenberg did considerable soul-searching, and discussed the matter with his rabbi; finally he relented and agreed to play on Rosh Hashanah, but stuck with his decision not to play on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּפּוּר ˈjɔm kiˈpur also known in English as the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays Its Of the latter decision, Detroit Free Press columnist and poet Edgar A. Guest expressed the general opinion in a poem titled "Speaking of Greenberg," in which he used the Irish (and thus Catholic) names Murphy and Mulroney. The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily Newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Edgar Albert Guest ( August 20, 1881, Birmingham, England &ndash August 5, 1959, Detroit, Michigan The poem ends with the lines "We shall miss him on the infield and shall miss him at the bat / But he's true to his religion--and I honor him for that. " The complete text of the poem is at the end of Greenberg's biography page at the website of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1935 Greenberg led the league in RBIs (170) and total bases (389), tied Foxx for the AL title in home runs (36), was 2nd in the league in doubles (46), triples (16), and slugging percentage (. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs (4-2 All-Star Game, James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx ( October 22 - July 21) ( nicknamed Double X and The Beast) was an American First 628), and was 3rd in the league in runs scored (121). He also led the Tigers to their first World Series title. (However, he broke his wrist in the second game. ) He was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in He set a record (still standing) of 103 RBIs at the All-Star break - but was not selected to the AL All-Star Game roster. [3]

In 1937 Greenberg was voted to the All-Star Team. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4-1 All-Star Game All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and On Sept. 19, 1937, he hit the first-ever homer into the center field bleachers at Yankee Stadium. Bleachers redirects here For the novel see Bleachers (novel. Bleachers is a term used to describe the raised tiered stands found He led the AL by driving in 183 runs (3rd all-time, behind Hack Wilson in 1930 and Lou Gehrig in 1931), while batting . Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson ( April 26, 1900 – November 23, 1948) was an American Center fielder in Major Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over St Louis Cardinals (4-2 Awards and honors Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Champions World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Philadelphia Athletics (4-3 Awards and honors 337 with 200 hits. He was 2nd the league in home runs (40), doubles (49), total bases (397), slugging percentage (. 668), and walks (102). Still, Greenberg came in only 3rd in the vote for MVP.

A prodigious home run hitter, Greenberg narrowly missed breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home-run record in 1938, when he was again voted to the All-Star Team and hit 58 home runs, leading the league for the second time. George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs (4-0 All-Star Game All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and After having been passed over for the All-Star team in 1935 and being left on the bench for the 1937 game, Greenberg refused to participate in the 1938 contest. All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs (4-2 All-Star Game, Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4-1 All-Star Game Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs (4-0 All-Star Game In 1938 he homered in four consecutive at-bats over two games. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs (4-0 All-Star Game He matched what was then the home run record for homers in a season by a right-handed batter; it wasn't until 61 years later that Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire broke it. Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is a Right fielder who is currently Mark David McGwire (born October 1 1963 in Pomona California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his Major League career with the 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. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ (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. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. )

He also led the league in runs scored (144) and at-bats per home run (9. 6), tied for the AL lead in walks (119), was 2nd in RBI (146), slugging percentage (. 683), and total bases (380), and was also 3rd in OBP (. 438). Still, Greenberg came in only 3rd in the vote for MVP.

In 1939 Greenberg was voted to the All-Star Team for the third year in a row. Headline Event of the Year On May 17, 1939, Princeton University and Columbia University played the first televised baseball All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and He was 2nd in the league in home runs (33), 3rd in the AL in doubles (42) and slugging percentage (. 622), while leading the league in strikeouts (95).

After moving to the outfield in 1940, Greenberg was voted to the All-Star Team for the 4th year in a row. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers (4-3 All-Star Game All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and He led the league in home runs (41; for the third time in 6 years), RBIs (150), doubles (50), total bases (384), and slugging percentage (. 670; 44 points ahead of Joe DiMaggio). Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe He was second in the league behind Ted Williams in runs scored (129) and OBP (. Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams ( August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) also nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter 433), all while batting . 340 (5th best in the AL). The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in He led the Tigers to a pennant, and won his 2nd American League MVP award, becoming at the time the first player ever to win the MVP award at two different positions. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in


World War II service

The Detroit draft board initially classified Greenberg as 4F for "flat feet. The Draft redirects here For other uses see Draft. Conscription in the United States has been employed several times usually during The Selective Service System is the means by which the United States administers military Conscription. " 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. Jack "Manassa Mauler" Dempsey ( June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983) was an American boxer who held the world World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

Although drafted in 1940, he was honorably discharged after the United States Congress released men aged 28 years and older from service, being released on December 5, 1941, two days before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. A military discharge is given when a member of the Armed forces is released from his or her obligation to serve The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku Pearl Harbor is a Harbor on the Island of O{{okina}}ahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Greenberg re-enlisted and volunteered for service in the United States Army Air Forces. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. He graduated from Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a first lieutenant. Officer Candidate School or Officer Cadet School ( OCS) are institutions which train civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission First Lieutenant is a Military rank. The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations (see Comparative military ranks He eventually served overseas in the Republic of China-Burma-India theater, scouting locations for B-29 bases. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Return to baseball

Greenberg remained in uniform until the summer of 1945. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs (4-3 All-Star Game In Greenberg's first game back after being discharged, he homered on July 1, 1945. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs (4-3 All-Star Game That year, he set the major league record with 11 multi-homer games. Sammy Sosa tied Greenberg's mark in 1998. Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is a Right fielder who is currently Headline events of the year Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr Without the benefit of spring training, he returned to the Tigers, was again voted to the All-Star Team, 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 Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the Regular season. All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and

In 1946 he returned to peak form, leading the league in home runs (44) and RBIs (127), both for the 4th time. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox (4-3 All-Star Game He was 2nd in slugging percentage (. 604) and total bases (316), behind Ted Williams.

In 1947, Greenberg and the Tigers had a lengthy salary dispute. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 All-Star Game When Greenberg decided to retire rather than play for less, Detroit sold his contract to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To persuade him not to retire, Pittsburgh made Greenberg the first baseball player to earn over $80,000 in a season as pure salary (though the exact amount is a matter of some dispute). Team co-owner Bing Crosby recorded a song, "Goodbye, Mr. Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular Ball, Goodbye" with Groucho Marx and Greenberg, to celebrate Greenberg's arrival. The Pirates also reduced the size of Forbes Field's cavernous left field, renaming the section "Greenberg's Gardens," to accommodate Greenberg's pull-hitting style. Forbes Field was a Baseball park in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from 1909 to 1971 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. Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

That year he tied for the league lead in walks, with 104. He had a . 408 on base percentage, and was also 8th in the league in home runs and 10th in slugging percentage. Greenberg became the first major league player to hit 25 or more home runs in a season in each league (Johnny Mize became the second, in 1950). Johnny Mize ( January 7, 1913 – June 2, 1993) was a Baseball player who was a First baseman for the St Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies (4-0 All-Star Nevertheless, he retired as a player to take a front-office post with the Cleveland Indians. No player had ever retired after a final season in which they hit that many home runs. Since then, only Ted Williams (1960, 29), Dave Kingman (1986; 35), and Mark McGwire (2001; 29) have hit as many or more homers in their final season. Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams ( August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) also nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter David Arthur Kingman (born December 21, 1948, in Pendleton Oregon) nicknamed "Kong" and "Sky King" is a former Major League Mark David McGwire (born October 1 1963 in Pomona California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his Major League career with the

Fielding

As a fielder, the 193-cm (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. Over the course of his career, he had a higher than average fielding percentage and range at first base. When asked to move to left field in 1940 to make room for Rudy York, he worked tirelessly to master that position as well, and reduced his errors in the outfield from 15 in 1940 to 0 in 1945. A left fielder (LF is an Outfielder in the sport of Baseball who plays defense in left field. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers (4-3 All-Star Game Preston Rudolph York ( August 17, 1913 - February 5, 1970) was a Major League Baseball First baseman who played for the

Baseball style

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.

Abbreviated career

Starring as a first baseman and outfielder with the Detroit Tigers (1930, 1933-46), and briefly with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947), he played only 9 full seasons. Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in Baseball farthest from the batter The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He missed 3 full seasons and most of 2 others to military service during World War II, and missed most of another season with a broken wrist. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

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.

Coaching & 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. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. William Louis Veeck Jr (ˈvɛk rhymes with "wreck" February 9 1914 &ndash January 2 1986) also known as " Sport Shirt 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. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive George William “Bill” James (born October 5, 1949, in Holton Kansas) is a Baseball writer historian and statistician whose work has been [2] When Veeck sold his interest, Greenberg remained as general manager and part-owner until 1957. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) He was the mastermind behind a move to Minneapolis for the Indians, that was vetoed by the rest of ownership at the last minute. Greenberg was furious and sold his share soon afterwards.

In 1961, the American League announced plans to put a team in Los Angeles. Headline Event of the Year Roger Maris hits 61 home runs breaking Babe Ruth 's record Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Greenberg 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. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA Walter Francis O'Malley (October 9 1903 &ndash August 9 1979 was an American 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). The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. He later became a successful investment banker. Investment banks profit from companies and governments by raising money through issuing and selling Securities in the Capital markets (both equity and

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. Gimbel Brothers (Gimbels was an iconic major American Department store corporation from 1887 through the late 20th century Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Their son Glenn runs a $4 billion dollar hedge fund called Chieftain Capital. [3] [4] Their son, Stephen, played 5 years in the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers organization. The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington Texas, United States, representing the Dallas-Ft In 1995, Steve Greenberg co-founded Classic Sports Network with Brian Bedol, which was purchased by ESPN and became ESPN Classic. Athletics For an extensive coverage see 1995 in athletics (track and field Marathon January For the Canadian channel of this name see ESPN Classic (Canada. Brian Bedol is an American television executive entrepreneur and founder of the sports television channels Classic Sports Network and College Sports Television. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to For the Canadian channel of this name see ESPN Classic (Canada. He was also the Chairman of CSTV, the first cable network devoted exclusively to college sports, which was purchased by CBS in 2006. CBS College Sports Network (usually promoted with the "Network" portion excised from the branding is a multimedia network and the first dedicated exclusively to CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network.

Honors

Hank Greenberg's number 5 was retired by the Detroit Tigers in 1983

Miscellaneous

The antisemitism Greenberg faced ranged from players staring at him because they had never before seen a Jew, to coarse racial epithets hurled at him. Particularly abusive were the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1934 World Series. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The 1934 World Series matched the St Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Cardinals' " Gashouse Gang " winning in seven games [4] Examples of this were: "Hey Mo," referring to Moses, and "Throw a pork chop, he can't hit that,"[5] referring to laws of Kashrut. Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus, he כַּשְׁרוּת refers to Jewish dietary laws.

"When I was playing, I used to resent being singled out as a Jewish ballplayer. I wanted to be known as a great ballplayer, period. I’m not sure why or when I changed, because I’m still not a particularly religious person. Lately, though, I find myself wanting to be remembered not only as a great ballplayer, but even more as a great Jewish ballplayer. ”[6]
— Hank Greenberg, after his career

Greenberg sometimes retaliated against the ethnic attacks, once going into the Chicago White Sox clubhouse to challenge manager Jimmy Dykes, and at another time calling out the entire Yankee team. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. James Joseph Dykes ( November 10 1896 - June 15 1976) was an American third and Second baseman, manager [7]

Jewish fans in Detroit -- and around the American League for that matter -- took to Greenberg almost at once, offering him everything from free meals to free cars, all of which he refused. [8]

"Class tells. It sticks out all over Mr. Greenberg. "[9]
— Jackie Robinson

In 23 World Series games, he hit . Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. 318, with five homers and 22 RBI.

Greenberg was one of the few baseball people to testify on behalf of Curt Flood in 1970 when the outfielder challenged the reserve clause. Curtis Charles Flood ( January 18 1938 &ndash January 20 1997) was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as Champions Major Leagues World Series MVP Brooks Robinson All-Star Game, July 14 at Riverfront Stadium The reserve clause is a term formerly employed in North American professional Sports Contracts The reserve clause, contained in all standard player [10]

Greenberg died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California and his remains were entombed at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California. The Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 6001 W Centinela Avenue in Culver City California, USA. Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County California.

In an article in 1976 in Esquire magazine, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Esquire (abbreviated Esq) is a term of British origin originally used to denote social status Greenberg was the first baseman on Stein's Jewish team. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************

In 2006, Greenberg was featured on a United States postage stamp. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services [6] The stamp is one of a block of four honoring Baseball Sluggers, the others being Mickey Mantle, Mel Ott, and Roy Campanella. Mickey Charles Mantle ( October 20, 1931 &ndash August 13, 1995) was an American Baseball player who was inducted Melvin Thomas "Mel" Ott ( March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958) nicknamed "Master Melvin" was a Major League Baseball Roy Campanella ( November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993) nicknamed " Campy " was an American Baseball

See also

References

  1. ^ Hank Greenberg
  2. ^ James, Bill The New Bill Janes Historical Baseball Abstract New York: Free Press (2001) p. The 1935 Detroit Tigers won the 1935 World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 2 Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted In Major League Baseball, the 50 home run club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have hit 50 or more Home runs in a single season See also List of lifetime home run leaders through history This is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters. Below is the list of 300 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 1000 Runs milestone Below is the list of 257 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 1000 RBI milestone Major League Baseball recognizes Runs batted in champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes home run champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes runs scored champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes doubles champions in the American League and National League each season At the end of each Major League Baseball season the league leaders of various statistical categories are announced 435 ISBN 0-684-80697-5
  3. ^ Hedge Fund Toddlers
  4. ^ WEDDINGS; Linda Vester, Glenn Greenberg - New York Times
  5. ^ Jewish-American Hall of Fame - Nominate Somebody
  6. ^ USPS - 2006 Commemorative Stamps

External links

Persondata
NAME Greenberg, Hank
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hammerin' Hank
SHORT DESCRIPTION Baseball outfielder
DATE OF BIRTH January 1, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH New York, New York
DATE OF DEATH September 4, 1986
PLACE OF DEATH Beverly Hills, California
The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
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