John Rosengren - Hank Greenberg: Baseball Star, Jewish Hero, American Legend

HANK GREENBERG

ALSO BY JOHN ROSENGREN

Hammerin Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid:
The Year That Changed Baseball Forever

Blades of Glory:
The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win

HANK
GREENBERG

THE HERO OF HEROES

JOHN ROSENGREN

NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY

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First published by New American Library,
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Copyright John Rosengren, 2013
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REGISTERED TRADEMARKMARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGINGIN-PUBLICATION DATA:
Rosengren, John.
Hank Greenberg: hero of heroes/John Rosengren.
p. cm.
ISBN: 978-1-101-61492-1 (hardback)
1. Greenberg, Hank. 2. Baseball playersUnited StatesBiography.
3. Jewish baseball playersUnited StatesBiography. I. Title.
GV865.G68R67 2013
796.357092dc23 2012027865
[B]

Designed by Elke Sigal

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For Alison and Brendan,
with love

I nside the Detroit clubhouse, Hank Greenberg sat slumped on a stool in front of his locker, still dressed in his street clothes. Around him, his teammates readied for that afternoons game against the Boston Red Sox, buttoning jerseys, buckling belts, lacing spikes, but the Tigers first baseman did not budge. It was September 10, 1934. Rosh Hashanah.

What the hells the matter with you? asked third baseman Marv Owen, whose locker neighbored Greenbergs. You sick?

Hank shook his head. No.

Something bothering you?

I dont know what to do.

You gotta play ball, thats what you gotta do, Owen said. He dressed and headed out to the field for batting practice.

Tradition dictated that Jews observe Rosh Hashanah solemnly in prayer; they were not to work or play. Greenberg spent the first morning of year 5695 at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Detroits oldest and largest conservative synagogue. When he entered the sanctuary, dappled with light streaming through the stained glass windows, those assembled turned their attention from the cantor singing with the choir. A murmur passed through the pews. There he is. Someone handed him a talith (prayer shawl), which he draped over his broad shoulders, and a machzor (holiday prayer book). The shammes (sexton) offered him the honor to serve as hagbah, to lift the Torah following the Reading of the Law. Hank declined. I am only a ballplayer, he said. Give it to someone else who really deserves it.

Hank took his place in the section with the other men and joined in the prayers. He heard the shofar blown. The ancient ritual recalled Abrahams faithso strong he was willing to sacrifice his sonand Gods mercy in providing a ram instead. The whole time Hank stewed over his dilemma.

His parents had emigrated from Romania and raised their children in the strict tradition of their Orthodox faith. They spoke Yiddish at home, attended synagogue regularly and had Hank bar mitzvahed. Now twenty-three years old and a professional ballplayer, Hank Greenberg was old enough to make his own decisions, yet he knew his parents valued the Old World traditions over Americas national pastime. When they had traveled to Philadelphia on the Tigers last road trip to watch him, Hank promised them he would not play on the High Holy Days. Even as he was learning to live on his own in the gentile world, he still abided the commandments, including, Honor thy father and mother.

About 12:30 that afternoon, Hank stood up to leave. The assembly buzzed again. Hes going to play. A group of boys and girls rushed after him down the aisle. The cantor paused and turned to see what the commotion was about. Leshono toivo! the children called to him, Happy New Year! Some grabbed at his hands. They watched him descend the steps to his car and drive down Chicago Boulevard. He was still uncertain what to do.

Greenberg had not played on the High Holy Days last season, his rookie year with the Tigers, but no one noticed. A year later, everything had changed. Then, the Tigers had been twenty-eight and a half games back, en route to a dismal fifth-place finish. This year, they were in first place, fighting off the Yankees for the pennant.

In 1933, Greenberg had been a rookie, an inconsistent hitter and erratic fielder, the weakest in the league at first base. He had worked hard to improve both. This year, he had established himself as a fixture in the batting order and the infield. With growing confidence, he led the Tigers in runs batted in. His .335 batting average was second only to second baseman Charlie Gehringers. He was third in runs scored. His league-leading 57 doubles had him within ten of the season record. His 21 home runs had earned the Tiger slugger comparisons to Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx.

Come September, the Tigers led the Yankees by six games, but Greenberg had watched the Tigers lead drop to four over the past week, when the team had faltered and lost half its games. The pennant no longer appeared a sure thing. Everybody on the team had slumped, except for Gehringer, who was challenging the Yankees Gehrig for the batting title, and Greenberg, who was carrying the team. The sophomore sensation had not only sparked the 34 teams drive for the pennant, he had sealed its last two victories with his bat. Yesterday, with two strikes against him, he had singled to drive in Gehringer with the winning run in the tenth inning. Hank knew his team needed him.