“Hammerin’” Hank Greenberg was coming off a stellar season where he’d hit 40 home runs and 184 RBIs, becoming only the thirteenth player to ever hit 40 or more homers (and one of only four players to have 40 or more home runs and 175 or more RBIs in a season). Even with his success at the plate, neither Greenberg nor the rest of the world could have expected what was about to happen in 1938. From his first day in the big leagues, the New York-born Greenberg had dealt with persecution for being Jewish. From teammate Jo-Jo White asking where his horns were to the verbal abuse from bigoted fans and the media, the 6-foot-3 slugger always did his best to shut the noise out and concentrate on baseball. But in 1938, that would be more difficult then he could have ever imagined. While Greenberg was battling at the plate, his people overseas were dealing with a completely different battle. Adolf Hitler, who had been chancellor of Germany since 1933, had taken direct control of the country’s military in February of ’38. He then began his methodic takeover of all neighboring countries, spreading Nazism and the early stages of World War II and the Holocaust. Hank Greenberg in 1938 chronicles the events of 1938, both on the baseball diamond and the streets of Europe. As Greenberg’s bat had him on course for Babe Ruth’s home run record, Hitler’s “Final Solution” was beginning to take shape. Jews across the US, worried about the issues overseas, looked to Greenberg as a symbol of hope. Though normally hesitant to speak about the anti-Semitism he dealt with, the slugger still knew the role he was playing for so many of his people, saying “I came to feel that if I, as a Jew, hit a home run, I was hitting one against Hitler.”

Baseball during the Great Depression of the 1930s galvanized communities and provided a struggling country with heroes. Jewish player Hank Greenberg gave the people of Detroit—and America—a reason to be proud. But America was facing more than economic hardship. Hitler’s agenda heightened the persecution of Jews abroad while anti-Semitism intensified political and social tensions in the U.S. The six-foot-four-inch Greenberg, the nation’s most prominent Jew, became not only an iconic ball player, but also an important and sometimes controversial symbol of Jewish identity and the American immigrant experience. Throughout his twelve-year baseball career and four years of military service, he heard cheers wherever he went along with anti-Semitic taunts. The abuse drove him to legendary feats that put him in the company of the greatest sluggers of the day, including Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Lou Gehrig. Hank’s iconic status made his personal dilemmas with religion versus team and ambition versus duty national debates. Hank Greenberg is an intimate account of his life—a story of integrity and triumph over adversity and a portrait of one of the greatest baseball players and most important Jews of the twentieth century. INCLUDES PHOTOS

Once in a great while there appears a baseball player who transcends the game and earns universal admiration from his fellow players, from fans, and from the American people. Such a man was Hank Greenberg, whose dynamic life and legendary career are among baseball's most inspiring stories. The Story of My Life tells the story of this extraordinary man in his own words, describing his childhood as the son of Eastern European immigrants in New York; his spectacular baseball career as one of the greatest home-run hitters of all time and later as a manager and owner; his heroic service in World War II; and his courageous struggle with cancer. Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a secular Jew who, during a time of widespread religious bigotry in America, stood up for his beliefs. Throughout a lifetime of anti-Semitic abuse he maintained his dignity, becoming in the process a hero for Jews throughout America and the first Jewish ballplayer elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

"There was nobody in the history of the game who took more abuse than Greenberg, unless it was Jackie Robinson." So says Birdie Tebbetts, a Detroit teammate who watched as Hammerin' Hank Greenberg smashed his way through the major leagues of baseball. Arguably the greatest Jewish ballplayer who ever lived, Greenberg smacked out homer after homer leading the Detroit Tigers to the World Series four times. Written as a screenplay, the life of Hank Greenberg is filled with hate, love, frustration and redemption. It is a story that transcends the times and is as much relevant today as it was in years past. The struggle against prejudice and hatred is a human struggle for acceptance and understanding and Hank Greenberg's story is a story of the human condition.

In the 1930s Hank Greenberg of the Detroit Tigers became the most feared slugger in baseball, the only player to challenge Babe Ruth’s record of sixty home runs in a single season before Roger Maris broke the record in 1961. And Greenberg was Jewish, certainly the greatest Jewish ballplayer to that time, which made him a special hero to American Jews. Throughout his career Greenberg displayed, in addition to his hitting prowess, an unusual degree of gentlemanliness that won him the admiration and respect of his fellow ballplayers, executives of the game, sportswriters, and fans. Hank Greenberg was seventy-five when he died in 1986. On the hundredth anniversary of his birth (he was born January 1, 1912), Ray Robinson remembers the man, the player, and the prejudice he overcame.

Part reference, part trivia, part brain teaser, and absolutely the most unusual and thorough compendium of baseball stats and facts ever assembled—all verified for accuracy by the Baseball Hall of Fame. First created by legendary sportswriter Bert Randolph Sugar, and now updated, here are thousands of fascinating lists, tables, data, and stimulating facts. Inside, you’ll find all of the big name baseball heroes like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Denny McLain, Ty Cobb, and a lot of information that will be new to even the most devoted fans: Highest batting averages not to win batting titles Home-run leaders by state of birth Players on last-place teams leading the league in RBIs, by season Most triples by position, season Winners of two “legs” of triple crown since last winner Oldest pitchers with losing record, leading league in ERA Career pitching leaders under six feet tall Managers replaced wile team was in first place Hall of Famers whose sons played in the majors Players with palindromic surnames And so much more! Not just a collection of facts or records, this is a book of glorious fun that will astound even the most bookish baseball fan. Read up and amaze your friends!

Widely acknowledged as the preeminent gathering of baseball scholars, the annual Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture has made significant contributions to baseball research. This collection of 15 new essays selected from the 2015 and the 2016 symposia examines topics whose importance extend beyond the ballpark. Presented in six parts, the essays explore Biography: From Mythology to Authenticity, Gender and Generations, Race and Ethnicity on the Base Paths, Ballparks Abandoned and Envisioned, Baseball Cinema, and Business, Law and the Game.

How home runs transformed baseball--and America

The Ultimate Major League Baseball book series brings you the Detroit Tigers: Michigan’s favorite sports team. A book that chronicles the history of the Detroit Tiger major-league baseball franchise. Relive the past through yearly reviews that recap each season month by month, including information on hitting, pitching, and defense. There are player and pitcher of the year selections, break out boxes for decade hitting and pitching leaders. Each decade has player and pitcher of the decade selections, with all-decade teams and pitching staffs presented. The new analytical evaluations Most Effective Hitter (MEH) and Most Effective Pitcher (MEP) are introduced. They compare position players and pitchers from all eras based upon fourteen areas of on-the-field performance for each. MEH evaluates the offensive proficiency of a player or team. You will see where your favorite Tiger ranks for the Top-150 All-Time, the Top five All-Time Teams, and the Top-10 by position. MEP weighs pitching proficiency for a player or team, with the lists of Top-50 All-Time Starters and Top-50 All-Time Relievers revealed for the first time. The Yearly and decade hitting and pitching leaders from 1901 through 2021 are included. The top-100 all-time leaders in over one hundred hitting and fifty pitching categories are listed. From Cobb to Cabrera, it is all there, as the Detroit Tigers: Michigan’s favorite sports team book would be a valuable addition to any library. Whether a casual fan or a savvy baseball enthusiast, the reader will enjoy hours learning more about the Detroit Tiger franchise.