37 Facts About Hank Greenberg

Hank Greenberg played the first twelve of his 13 major league seasons for Detroit.

Hank 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 .

In 1947, Hank 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.

Hank Greenberg was the first Jewish superstar in American team sports.

Hank Greenberg was born Hyman Greenberg on January 1,1911, in Greenwich Village, New York City, to Romanian Orthodox Jewish parents, David and Sarah Greenberg, who had emigrated from Bucharest.

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Hank Greenberg'sfamily moved to the Bronx when he was about seven.

Hank Greenberg turned them down and instead attended New York University for a semester where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu, after which he signed with the Detroit Tigers for $9,000 .

Hank Greenberg had played in a single MLB game in 1930, and he was the youngest player to appear in the major leagues that year.

In 1936, Hank Greenberg re-injured his wrist in a collision with Jake Powell of the Washington Senators in April and did not play the remainder of the season.

In 1937, Hank Greenberg recovered from his injury and was voted to the AL All-Star roster, but did not play.

Prodigious home run hitter, Hank Greenberg narrowly missed breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1938, when he hit 58 home runs, leading the league for the second time.

Hank Greenberg matched what was then the single-season home run record by a right-handed batter, ; the mark stood for 66 years until it was broken by Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.

However, more detailed analysis points out that Hank Greenberg walked just as often in April and May of the 1938 season, and that his excess walks in September came well before he threatened Ruth's record.

Hank Greenberg was again voted to the AL All-Star roster in 1938, but because he was not named to the 1935 AL All-Star roster and was benched in the 1937 game, he declined to accept a starting position on the 1938 AL team and did not play .

In 1939 Hank Greenberg was voted to the AL All-Star roster for the third year in a row and was a starter at first base, and singled and walked in four at-bats .

Hank Greenberg in turn, demanded a $10,000 bonus if he mastered the outfield, insisting he was the one taking the risk in learning a new position.

In 1940, Hank Greenberg switched from playing the first base position to the left field position.

Hank Greenberg batted twice in the game and fouled out to the catcher two times.

On October 16,1940, Hank Greenberg became the first American League player to register for the nation's first peacetime draft.

Hank Greenberg re-enlisted as a sergeant on February 1,1942, and volunteered for service in the Army Air Forces, becoming the first major league player to do so.

Hank Greenberg served 47 months, the longest of any major league player.

Hank Greenberg'shome run allowed the Tigers to clinch the pennant and avoid a one-game playoff against the now-second-place Washington Senators.

When Hank Greenberg decided to retire rather than play for less, Detroit sold his contract to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Hank Greenberg played first base for the Pirates in 1947 and was one of the few opposing players to publicly welcome Jackie Robinson to the majors.

Hank Greenberg became the first major league player to hit 25 or more home runs in a season in each league.

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Nevertheless, Hank Greenberg retired as a player to take a front-office post with the Cleveland Indians.

Hank Greenberg felt that runs batted in were more important than home runs.

Hank Greenberg's influence grew even more in 1956 when he joined a syndicate headed by Bill Daley that bought the Indians from Wilson.

Veeck would sell his shares in the White Sox in 1961, and Hank Greenberg stepped down as general manager on August 26 of that season.

Hank Greenberg immediately became the favorite to become the new team's first owner and persuaded Veeck to join him as his partner.

Hank Greenberg later became a successful investment banker, briefly returning to baseball as a minority partner with Veeck when the latter repurchased the White Sox in 1975.

Hank Greenberg married Caral Gimbel on February 18,1946, three days after signing a $60,000 contract with the Tigers.

In 1995, Stephen Hank Greenberg co-founded Classic Sports Network with Brian Bedol, which was purchased by ESPN and became ESPN Classic.

In 1966, Hank Greenberg married Mary Jo Tarola, a minor actress who appeared on-screen as Linda Douglas, and remained with her until his death.

Hank Greenberg died of metastatic kidney cancer in Beverly Hills, California, in 1986, and his remains were entombed at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, in Culver City, California.

Incidents of anti-Semitism Hank Greenberg faced included having players stare at him and having racial slurs thrown at him by spectators and sometimes opposing players.

Hank Greenberg befriended Jackie Robinson after he signed with the Dodgers in 1947, and encouraged him; Robinson credited Hank Greenberg with helping him through the difficulties of his rookie year.