Hank Greenberg

[Rockin Robin]

I just watched a wonderful wonderful biography of him. I knew he was the first [openly] Jewish ballplayer, but I hadn't realized he was a league leader in so many offensive categories. Not a small feat, when he was playing in a league with the likes of Gehrig, Dimaggio, Foxx, and Williams. Almost broke Babe Ruth's single season home run record, but no one would pitch to him the last week of the season.

Played on several Pennant winning and World Series winning teams; managed a couple of Pennant winning teams; owned a World Series winning team.

Everybody knows the story of Sandy Koufax refusing to play on Yom Kippur; I didn't know that Hank Greenberg had done the same more than two decades before.

He encouraged Jackie Robinson to stick it out and just ignore all the prejudices.

A great man, a great ballplayer, a great Jew.

[rockin500]

oh lord, hammerin hank was always one of the best. :)

i'd like to go into the past and put him on my team! yes maam indeeed!

[~*TiGeRs f@N*~]

I'll tell ya! The Tigers could use him now! :clap2:

[imgreat95]

Umm.. Jen, the Tigers could use SammyKKhalifa right now too... :hmm:

[elfudge35]

why do you think I picked him in the all-time draft, career OPS over 1.000? great ballplayer

[~*TiGeRs f@N*~]

Originally posted by imgreat95
Umm.. Jen, the Tigers could use SammyKKhalifa right now too... :hmm:

Shawn, the point was, we could use all the help we can get

[Tigers#1]

Originally posted by ~*TiGeRs f@N*~
I'll tell ya! The Tigers could use him now! :clap2: No, we got Phil Mickelson instead.:clap2:

[PopTop]

Rockin' R, you left out what I've always thought was the best Hank Greenberg info: Like so many other star players at the time, he served in the military during WWII ... But at a time the US was trying to ship soldiers of the Hebrew faith to the Pacific front, Hank all but demanded to go to the European Theatre and meet the menace head-on ... And from what I've always read and heard about the man, he was the epitome of a "gentle giant." :cool:

[Rockin Robin]

You're absolutely right, Willie.