In 1938, hank greenberg had a career year in baseball and challenged babe ruths record of 60 home runs in a season. Hank greenberg, pete gray, and the great days of baseball on the home front in wwii, thomas dunne books, new york, ny, 2015. Hank greenberg baseball hall of fame 1956 induction career stat bat. Jun 05, 2011 both books are remarkably economical biographies, but mark kurlanskys scholarly slice of hank greenberg is always winning, while the novelist jerome charyns earnest attempt to restore joe. Hank greenberg was the first jewish player elected to the national baseball hall of fame 1956, had his uniform number retired by the the detroit tigers during greenberg gehringer day at tiger stadium in 1983 along with former teammate charlie gehringer who had his uniform number retired as well, and he was featured on a united states. Hank greenberg credited tigers 1940 pennant to sign. The 50 greatest baseball books of all time huffpost.
The hero of heroes rosengren pens a textured taleof henry greenberg, the moses of baseball. The glory of joe dimaggio and hank greenberg the new york times. Hank greenberg, american professional baseball player who, as one of the games best hitters, won two american league mvp awards 1935, 1940 and became the sports first jewish superstar. Despite losing four prime seasons to world war ii and another to a fractured wrist, hank greenberg still walloped 331 home runs, including 40 or more. Greenberg was inducted into the baseball hall of fame in cooperstown, new york, in 1956. Hank greenberg baseball cards and memorabilia have a special place in baseball history.
There were already at least 10 books about the detroit tigers slugger, as well as aviva kempners awardwinning documentary, the life and times of hank greenberg. As an accomplished hall of fame player of jewish descent, greenbergs talent and achievements were heralded as proof of equality at a time when prejudice was at the forefront of geopolitics. View hank greenberg s page at the baseball hall of fame plaque, photos, videos. None, however, had brought together the unique combination of factors that made 1938 a turning point in baseball and world history. Both books are remarkably economical biographies, but mark kurlanskys scholarly slice of hank greenberg is always winning, while the novelist jerome charyns earnest attempt to restore joe. He was inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 1956. Henry benjamin greenberg nicknamed hammerin hank, hankus pankus. Mar 29, 2011 by mark kurlansky published march 29, 2011 192 pages a graceful appreciation usa today one of the reasons baseball fans so love the sport is that it involves certain physical acts of beauty. How hank greenberg took on hitler in the summer of 1938 az. Hatred and home runs in the shadow of war, it was going to be a fairly straightforward look at his assault on one of the biggest records in sports, sprinkled with a bit of pop culture. Hank greenberg cards, rookie cards and autographed. Hatred and home runs in the shadow of war ranks 979,828 last time, 776,121. Maurice raymond hank greenberg born may 4, 1925 is an american business executive and former chairman and chief executive officer of american international group aig, which was the worlds 18th largest public company and the largest insurance and financial services corporation in history he is currently chairman and chief executive officer of c.
The first jewish baseball halloffamer, hank greenberg ba. The son of eastern european parents, he rose from the streets of new york to rank among the greatest homerun hitters of the game, and became the first jewish player to. Hank greenberg baseball hall of fame plaque postcard. Jonathan eig, author of luckiest man and opening day hank greenberg in 1938 is an important book for its subject, its time and its place. Hank greenberg in 1938 is a wonderful baseball book, loaded with anecdotes and statistics. Jewish baseball news invited author and jbn contributor ron kaplan to write about his new book on hank greenberg and. He attended james monroe high school in the bronx, where he was an outstanding athlete in baseball, basketball and soccer.
Hank greenberg is an intimate account of his lifea story of integrity and triumph over adversity and a portrait of one of the greatest baseball players and most important jews of the twentieth century. The american baseball star hank greenberg, celebrated in the 1930s and 1940s for his powerful batting and multiple homeruns, was baseball s first legendary jewish player. In the late nineteenth century, as both the american jewish population and baseballs popularity grew rapidly, baseball became an avenue by which jewish immigrants could assimilate into american culture. Hank greenberg in 1938 book by ron kaplan official. Apr 24, 2017 in 1938, hank greenberg had a career year in baseball and challenged babe ruths record of 60 home runs in a season. This thoughtprovoking biography follows him from his service during world war ii, through his long career with the detroit tigerswhere the moniker hammerin hank came to lifeand finally to his role as a baseball executive.
There were already at least 10 books about the detroit tigers slugger, as well as aviva kempers awardwinning documentary, the life and times of hank greenberg. The son of eastern european parents, he rose from the streets of new york to rank among the greatest homerun hitters of the game, and became the first jewish player to be elected to the hall of fame. The return of hank greenberg baseball hall of fame. When i first began work on my new book, hank greenberg in 1938. The life and times of an american legend the best and most important biography ever written about. Hank s grandson spencer greenberg is a machine learning scientist and wall street entrepreneur. Baseball in the 1930s was more than a national pastime. Hank greenberg on returning to baseball greenberg will hit, and you can count on that, said future hall of famer ted williams in june of 1945, while williams was serving in the marines. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Hank greenberg mlb original autographed photos for sale ebay.
Hank greenberg baseball hall of fame biographies youtube. And one of the most beautiful sights in the history of baseball was hank greenbergs swing. Salaries for midseason callups or traded players may not be shown. Hank greenberg the story of my life edited and with an introduction by ira berkow illustrated. Hank greenberg world series stats by baseball almanac. Hank greenberg was the first jewish player elected to the national baseball hall of fame 1956, had his uniform number retired by the the detroit tigers during greenberggehringer day at tiger stadium in 1983 along with former teammate charlie gehringer who had his uniform number retired as well, and he was featured on a united states. Hank greenberg, home runs and war in 1938 april 25, 2017 tuesday note to readers. With his decision to sit out a 1934 game between his tigers and the new york yankees because it fell on yom kippur, hank greenberg became a hero to jews. The hero of heroes, john rosengren describes how the new york yankees used to call up minor leaguers just.
The italicized words come from a book published last week, john klimas the game must go on. This article was published in the spring 2012 baseball research journal according to the american leagues official records, hank greenberg amassed a total of 1,202 runs batted in during his junior circuit career, which was spent entirely with the detroit tigers and. Hank greenbergs american league rbi record society for. Exceeded rookie limits during 1933 season full name. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. The story of my life times books, published three years after the sluggers death, greenberg freely admitted to stealing signs beginning in early september of 1940 and credits that as one main reason detroit won the pennant. Additional 19151969 salaries researched via baseball hall of fame contract archives by dr. Hank greenberg society for american baseball research. If america truly is in decline, then some of us would ascribe that decline to the. The story of my life and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Ryan braun cracked a threerun homer on june 7 for the 332nd of his career, one more than hank greenberg for the alltime record by a jewish player. At the end of the season, hell be the most dangerous hitter on the detroit team. Jewish baseball news invited author and jbn contributor ron kaplan to write about his new book on hank greenberg and how it came together. How hank greenberg took on hitler in the summer of 1938.
Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 first edition with your subscription. Though hank greenberg was one of the first players to challenge babe ruths singleseason record of sixty home runs, it was the game greenberg did not play for which he is best remembered. Greenberg, hank official store of the baseball hall of fame. The best biography of the jewish slugger is hank greenberg with ira berkow, hank greenberg. With the detroit tigers from 1933 to 1947, and with the pittsburgh pirates for the last year of his playing career, greenberg led the american league four times in home runs. And one of the most beautiful sights in the history. Kaplan, however, set out to bring together the unique combination of factors that made 1938 a turning point in baseball and world history. Hanks iconic status made his personal dilemmas with religion versus team and ambition versus duty national debates. The glory of joe dimaggio and hank greenberg the new. Maurice raymond hank greenberg born may 4, 1925 is an american business executive and former chairman and chief executive officer of american international group aig, which was the worlds 18th largest public company and the largest insurance and financial services corporation in history. Whether you love baseball, history or both, you will want to read it.
His story is recounted in the awardwnning film documentary the life and times of hank greenberg 1999. Ron kaplans baseball bookshelf if it fits on a bookshelf. Highly recommended harvey frommer, ron kaplan tells the story with the same dignity and grace that greenberg exhibited on the field and in his life. When i was playing, i used to resent being singled out as a jewish ballplayer. Before there was hammerin hank aaron, there was hammerin hank greenberg. From vintage detroit in his 1989 autobiography edited by ira berkow, hank greenberg. Hank greenberg reveals resilience of early baseball. Dec 21, 2010 despite losing four prime seasons to world war ii and another to a fractured wrist, hank greenberg still walloped 331 home runs, including 40 or more on four occasions. The hero who didnt want to be one jewish lives mark. Helprins story is the most jewish of all baseball stories, seamlessly blending theology with the myths of the game. This autobiography of hank greenberg tells of one of the most dynamic and inspiring stories in the history of baseball.
The blast came on a 32 pitch in the sixth inning with his milwaukee brewers already leading the visiting pittsburgh pirates, 43. Henry b hank greenberg was born in new york city on january 1, 1911. The hank greenberg world series stats seen below include his world series yearbyyear hitting stats, world series fielding stats, and world series pitching stats where applicable. He finished two short of ruths home run total, and he led the american league in runs scored with 143 and 119 walks. The hero of heroes and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Birdie tebbets, one of those baseball lifers, said that aside from jackie robinson, the first african american to break the major league color line, no. Hank greenberg also said he didnt want to do it but later let larry interview him because they were friends and larry gave the interview to me for one of my books. Hank greenberg, pete gray and the great days of baseball on the homefront in wwii thomas dunne books. Book reporter named to s notable baseball books of 2017 ron kaplan has this subject cornered. New york journal of books ron kaplan does firstrate work, giving us a deeper appreciation of one of baseballs most thriling performances. Top hank greenberg baseball cards, vintage, rookies.
Primary salary data about courtesy doug pappas, and the society for american baseball research. Not surprisingly, greenberg was one of the few white ballplayers who supported and encouraged robinson when he entered the major leagues in 1947. Just 11 years earlier, babe ruth who had saved baseball in the wake of the 1919 black sox scandal with his oversized personality. Hankus spankus, the home run king and hall of famer. Larry tye, new york times bestselling author of satchel. Berkow began writing the memoir with greenberg and completed it after greenberg. Hyman greenberg, born in new york to romanian jewish immigrants, became hank greenberg, the american baseball hero, perhaps idolized by american jews precisely because he operated against jewish stereotypes. Hatred and home runs in the shadow of war, skyhorse publishing, sports publishing llc, new york, ny, 2017. By mark kurlansky published march 29, 2011 192 pages a graceful appreciation usa today one of the reasons baseball fans so love the sport is that it involves certain physical acts of beauty. Greenberg grew up in an orthodox jewish family in new york and went on to be a halloffame first baseman and left fielder, playing most of his career with the detroit tigers. Mark kurlansky has written, edited, or contributed to twenty books, which. Hank greenberg, pete gray, and the great days of baseball on the home front in wwii from the worlds largest communi.
1089 1006 388 1120 378 500 1459 371 538 1439 52 1371 1154 496 1456 1641 858 23 1560 496 1437 433 799 867 570 287 1017 655 95 692 191 89 924 367 1285 810 792 629 1277