Hank Greenberg
From BR Bullpen
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (Hammerin' Hank)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3½", Weight 210 lb.
- Debut September 14, 1930
- Final Game September 18, 1947
- Born January 1, 1911 in New York, NY USA
- Died September 4, 1986 in Beverly Hills, CA USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1956
Contents |
[edit] Biographical Information
Hank Greenberg was one of the great sluggers of the 1930's and 1940's. He lost more years than most to service for his country, as he originally went in during May 1941 and stayed in after Pearl Harbor through part of the 1945 season. He was still quite good when he returned in 1945, so it is clear that he could have hit at least 100 more home runs if he had not missed the time.
He was married to Carol Gimbel, whose family owned a chain of department stores. Hank and Carol's son Steve has worked for Major League Baseball in the Office of the Commissioner for many years.
He was the first player to hit 25 home runs in a season in both major leagues (Johnny Mize joined him 3 years later). He was also the 1st player to be MVP at 2 different positions.
He was drafted On May 7, 1941, at age 30, and reported to Fort Custer, Michigan, but was discharged on December 5, 1941 under the law releasing men over 28 years of age. He re-enlisted on January 30, 1942 and was discharged on June 15, 1945, as a captain with the 20th Bomber Command. He was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and 4 battle stars. In 1947, Greenberg became the first major league player to earn more than $80,000 in pure salary.
After his playing career, he became General Manager of the Cleveland Indians from 1950 to 1957 and the Chicago White Sox from 1959 to 1961.
| Preceded by Bill Veeck | Cleveland Indians General Manager 1950-1957 | Succeeded by Frank Lane |
| Preceded by Bill Veeck | Chicago White Sox General Manager 1961 | Succeeded by Ed Short |
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1932 MVP Texas League Beaumont Exporters
- 5-time AL All-Star (1937-1940 & 1945)
- 2-time AL MVP (1935 & 1940)
- AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1940)
- AL OPS Leader (1940)
- AL Runs Scored Leader (1938)
- 2-time AL Total Bases Leader (1935 & 1940)
- 2-time AL Doubles Leader (1934 & 1940)
- 4-time AL Home Runs Leader (1935, 1938, 1940 & 1946)
- 4-time AL RBI Leader (1935, 1937, 1940 & 1946)
- 2-time League Bases on Balls Leader (1938/AL & 1947/NL)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1934, 1935, 1937-1940, 1946-1947)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 6 (1935, 1937-1940 & 1946)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1937, 1938, 1940 & 1946)
- 50-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1938)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 7 (1934, 1935, 1937-1940 & 1946)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 6 (1934, 1935 & 1937-1940)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 3 (1934, 1935 & 1937)
- Won two World Series with the Detroit Tigers (1935 & 1945)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1956
| AL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 1935 | 1936 |
| Mickey Cochrane | Hank Greenberg | Lou Gehrig |
| 1939 | 1940 | 1941 |
| Joe DiMaggio | Hank Greenberg | Joe DiMaggio |
[edit] Records Held
- Extra base hits, right handed batter, season, 103, 1937 (tied)
- RBI per game, right handed batter, .915
