Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes
Hank Greenberg was the first nationally known Jewish athlete. When he joined the Detroit Tigers in 1933, the team was just another also-ran, chasing the powerful New York Yankees. But in 1934, led by Greenberg’s slugging, the Tigers won the pennant, though they lost the World Series. In 1935 the Tigers won the World Series. As Rosengren recounts this remarkable life story, we come to see how Greenberg bore more than the burden of athletic performance. He was a symbol of the Jewish community. Some in the community felt he should honor the Sabbath by not playing; others felt he should at least honor the High Holidays. Non-Jews vehemently argued that Greenberg should eschew all in favor of playing every time there was a game. Additionally, Greenberg was the target of virulent anti-Semitism. The discrimination wasn’t the same or as pervasive as the insults Jackie Robinson would endure 15 years later, but it was every bit as much a fabric of American life. Greenberg only had nine complete seasons as a Major Leaguer, but his place in the Hall of Fame is indisputable. He lost one season to injury and nearly four more to military service during WWII. (He served 45 months, the longest of any Major League player.) Rosengren’s text covers Greenberg’s youth, his playing and military careers as well as his years as a Major League executive. This is a serious, carefully researched biography of an important historical figure who was also a famous athlete. --Wes Lukowsky