Henry Benjamin (Hank) Greenberg

Henry Benjamin “Hank” Greenberg

Detroit Tigers Player (1930, 1933 – 1941, 1945 - 1946)

Hank Greenberg was born in New York City, New York and was an outstanding athlete at James Monroe High School in the Bronx. Greenberg went on to attend New York University for one year before signing with the Detroit Tigers. He made his Major League debut late in the 1930 season at the age of 19. In 1933 he came up for good and was a mainstay with the Tigers through 1941. Greenberg enlisted in the military during World War II and served 47 months, longer than any other major league player. He helped the Tigers win four A.L. pennants and two World Series championships. He spent his final season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a five-time All-Star, two-time A.L. MVP, four-time Home run champion and four-time RBI leader. Overall, he batted .313 with 1,628 hits, 1,046 runs, 1,278 RBI and 331 homeruns. Hank Greenberg had his number “5” retired by the Tigers in 1983, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949, inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 selected as one of the greatest 100 players of All-time and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1956. He passed away on September 4, 1986 at 75 years of age.