Greenberg, Hank, 1911-1986

<p>Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Detroit Tigers as a first baseman in the 1930s and 1940s. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award winner, he was one of the premier power hitters of his generation and is widely considered as one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history. He had 47 months of military service including service in World War II, all of which took place during what would have been prime years in his major league career.</p>

<p>Greenberg played the first twelve of his 13 major league seasons for Detroit. He was an American League (AL) All-Star for four seasons[a] and an AL MVP in 1935 (first baseman) and 1940 (left fielder). He had a batting average over .300 in eight seasons, and won two World Series championships with the Tigers (1935 and 1945). He was the AL home run leader four times and his 58 home runs for the Tigers in 1938 equaled Jimmie Foxx's 1932 mark for the most in one season by anyone other than Babe Ruth, and tied Foxx for the most home runs between Ruth's record 60 in 1927 and Roger Maris' record 61 in 1961. Greenberg was the first major league player to hit 25 or more home runs in a season in each league, and remains the AL record-holder for most runs batted in in a single season by a right-handed batter (183 in 1937, a 154-game schedule). His career statistics would have certainly been higher had he not served in the armed services during wartime. In 1947, Greenberg signed a contract for a record $85,000 salary before being sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he played his final MLB season that year. After retiring from playing, Greenberg continued to work in baseball as a team executive for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.</p>

<p>Greenberg was the first Jewish superstar in American team sports. He attracted national attention in 1934 in the middle of a pennant race when he had to decide whether to play baseball on two major Jewish holidays; after consultation with his rabbi, he agreed to play on Rosh Hashanah, but on Yom Kippur he spent the day at his synagogue, even though he was not particularly observant religiously. Having endured his share of anti-semitic abuse in his career, Greenberg was one of the few opposing players to publicly welcome African-American player Jackie Robinson to the major leagues in 1947.</p>

<p>HANK GREENBERG</p>
<p>Henry Benjamin Greenberg</p>
<p>Inducted to the Hall of Fame in: 1956</p>
<p>Primary team: Detroit Tigers</p>
<p>Primary position: 1st Baseman</p>
<p>"He was one of the truly great hitters, and when I first saw him at bat, he made my eyes pop out." – Joe DiMaggio</p>

<p>Henry Benjamin Greenberg was born on Jan. 1, 1911, in New York City. After a stellar amateur career, his hometown Yankees offered him a contract, but he opted to join the Detroit Tigers.</p>

<p>Greenberg would win two American League Most Valuable Player Awards in his career with Detroit. The first came in 1935 when playing first base he hit .328 and led the league in both home runs (36) and RBI (168). Greenberg's Tigers would win the World Series that year, though he missed the majority of the Fall Classic after breaking his wrist in the second game.</p>

<p>Greenberg earned his second MVP in 1940 as an outfielder; he batted .340 and again paced the American League in homers (41) while driving in the most runs (150). This would be the first time in MLB history that a player won an MVP award at two different positions.</p>

<p>War spreading across the globe in the 1940s would cut out a significant portion of Greenberg's playing career. Greenberg was initially brought into military service in May 1941, only to be honorably discharged on Dec. 5 of that year, a mere two days before the attacks at Pearl Harbor. Greenberg would immediately re-enlist. In June 1945, his military service concluded and Greenberg jumped right back into baseball.</p>

<p>Even though he had been away from the game for more than four years, Greenberg's skills hadn't waned. His return in the latter half of the 1945 season helped drive the Tigers to another World Series appearance. Greenberg's Fall Classic performance was spectacular, as he drove in seven runs in seven games while hitting .304, propelling the Tigers to victory over the Cubs.</p>

<p>In 1946, Greenberg once again leading the league in home runs (44) and RBI (127). That would be his final year as a member of the Detroit Tigers, however, as the Pittsburgh Pirates purchased his contract before the 1947 season. He would play only one season with the Pirates before retiring to take over direction of the Indians' farm system. Greenberg would shortly become their general manager and would later serve the White Sox in the same capacity.</p>

<p>Greenberg was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1956. He passed away on Sept. 4, 1986.</p>