Tiger of the Week - Hank GreenbergHank Greenberg (HA 8) is one of the greatest sluggers in Detroit Tigers history. Born in the Bronx to Romanian immigrants, Greenberg possessed an ungainly swing combined with a strong work ethic. Although the Yankees showed an interest, Greenberg realized that Lou Gehrig would be entrenched at first for them, and declined, signing instead with Detroit.
He played a single game with the Tigers in 1930, but his real career as a Tiger began in 1933. By his second season in 1934, Greenberg was well known for his skills at the plate, being dubbed the "Jewish Babe Ruth" by some. He played until the 1941 season, when he joined the Army. He returned in 1945, just in time to lead the Tigers to a World Series victory over the Chicago Cubs. He would win the AL MVP twice (1935 and 1940). His career BA was .313 with 313 home runs (.294 and 318 neutralized).
While Greenberg undoutedly faced a measure of anti-semetic insults, he insisted that, by and large, his treatment from other ball players and umpires was fair. For example, Greenberg chased Babe Ruth's 1927 HR record in 1938, finally hitting 58. While some argued that Cleveland's pitchers did not give him hittable pitches in the final series of the season, it should be noted that the Tigers and Indians were vying for third place, and the winner would get a larger share of World Series money. Greenberg himself cited several instances where players and umpires cut him slack to help him break the record during the season.
Greenberg played his entire career for Detroit except for his last season, which he played in Pittsburgh. After the 1946 season, Greenberg and the Tigers had difficulty coming to terms on salary. According to one account, Tigers owner John Fetzer saw a newspaper story with a photo of Greenberg in a Yankees uniform, and which claimed that Greenberg desired to play in New York. According to this account, it prompted Fetzer to sell Greenberg's contract. The story, however, was untrue. The photo came from an exhibition game played during the war in which Greenberg's team was given Yankees uniforms to play in.
Although Greenberg initially decided to retire rather than play for Pittsburgh, the Pirates and their fans went all out to convince him to play. Bing Crosby recorded a song in his honor ("Goodbye Mr. Baseball"), the Pirates moved the seats in left field and named the area behind the wall "Greenberg's Gardens," and, not least, made him the first ball player to earn over $100,000 in a season. Playing that least season for Pittsburgh (.408 on base percentage, 8th in the league in home runs, 10th in slugging percentage) also gave Greenberg a chance to become one of the few players to be demonstrably supportive of Jackie Robinson in Robinson's first year.
Greenberg worked hard to become an adequate fielder, paying sandlot ball players to hit extra fielding practice to him (someone once likened his fielding to an elephant trying to pick up marbles with his toes). From 1933 until 1939 he played every game at first base. In 1940, 1941 and 1945 he moved to the outfield at the Tigers' request so they could accomodate the up and coming Rudy York. Greenberg returned to first base in 1946 and 1947.
One of the most well known aspects of Greenberg lore came in how he reconciled his Jewish faith with the Tigers' 1934 schedule, which required playing important games on the two most solemn of Jewish holidays - Rosh Hoshanah and Yom Kippur. Greenberg consulted with a Rabbi, who advised that he could play on Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year. Greenberg's two solo home runs gave the Tigers a 2-1 win over Boston. Yom Kippur, however, was entirely another matter - a solemn day of "atonement" for the year's sins. Greenberg, then only 23, attended services at the local synagogue, placing his faith above his profession. He was rewarded with an ovation from the congregation upon entering, and became a hero to Jewish Americans everywhere.
Greenberg retired from basbeall after the 1947 season and became general manager of the Cleveland Indians, and, later, the Chicago White Sox during their 1959 AL pennant victory. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956.
Ed note: thanks to Mendoza Line for the correction
Sources:
CWCI 55-57
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Greenberg
Video, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg
