Hank Greenberg’s 10 best performances
Today is not solely the start of a brand new 12 months. It additionally marks the 111th birthday of Tigers nice and Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, a New Year’s child born on Jan. 1, 1911. To keep in mind his unimaginable profession, which included two World Series titles and two MVP Awards, listed below are 10 of the best performances from Greenberg’s profession in Detroit:
May 6, 1933: First massive league dwelling run
Though Greenberg made his MLB debut for the Tigers with one at-bat as a youngster in 1930 after having been referred to as up for the stretch run, he didn’t see the massive leagues once more till 1933. He went 1-for-10 over his first 4 video games, however his first profession dwelling run was a no-doubt drive out of Navin Field off former teammate Earl Whitehill in a 6-2 loss to the Senators.
“Irritated by the fans’ taunts after he had taken two strikes,” the Detroit Free Press account learn, Greenberg “blasted the ball onto Cherry St.”
Sept. 10, 1934: Two homers on Rosh Hashanah
In the midst of a breakthrough season that made him baseball’s first celebrity participant of the Jewish religion, and with the Tigers within the thick of a playoff race, the 23-year-old slugger was at a battle on whether or not to play on the Jewish New Year, a vacation usually spent in prayer. His troublesome resolution, which introduced recommendation from followers and clergy alike whereas being chronicled in native papers, took him all the best way as much as sport day. Knowing his teammates wanted him with the playoffs on the road — Detroit had a four-game lead within the American League with 20 video games left — he finally determined to play. He ended up accounting for the entire Tigers’ offense, belting a game-tying solo homer within the seventh earlier than main off the underside of the ninth with a walk-off solo shot for a 2-1 win over the Red Sox.
“Once I was in there, I had only one thing to do — keep swinging,” Greenberg advised the Free Press after the sport. “I guess I did pretty well and the Lord was with me.”
The headline within the Free Press the subsequent day, over a photograph of Greenberg crossing dwelling plate learn, “A Happy New Year for Everybody.”
Sept. 26, 1934: Nine RBIs in doubleheader
The Tigers had wrapped up the pennant race, however Greenberg was making a late cost at Earl Webb’s Major League doubles file (67), having reached 60 with simply over per week to go. With a Wednesday doubleheader in opposition to the White Sox within the closing week of the common season, Greenberg not solely performed each video games however he additionally hit up a storm, driving in six runs with no homer within the first sport because of a bases-clearing double and a go-ahead two-run single in a 12-10 win. He added a three-run homer within the nightcap. He completed the season with 63 doubles, essentially the most by a Tiger and the fourth-most in a season in Major League historical past. Former Tiger Nick Castellanos made a run on the mark in 2019 and completed with 58, 37 of which got here as a Tiger earlier than his commerce to the Cubs.
May 30, 1937: Greenberg goes 5-for-5 with 5 RBIs
By this level, Greenberg had established himself as a slugger and a run producer, however his magnificence was in his consistency. He by no means had a three-homer sport, however he had 34 profession two-homer performances. Likewise, he had just one five-hit sport, however with two homers, a double, 5 RBIs and 4 runs scored, it was positively memorable. Greenberg walked and scored within the first inning, hit a two-run homer within the second, singled dwelling a run and scored within the third, singled and scored once more within the fifth, hit one other two-run homer within the sixth after which doubled within the eighth.
Aug. 19, 1938: Five RBIs, walk-off homer
Greenberg led the American League in dwelling runs 4 occasions, however his 1938 crown noticed him make a run at historical past with an opportunity to match Babe Ruth’s Major League file of 60. Greenberg entered the All-Star break with simply 22 homers in 71 video games, however his late cost included a 15-homer July and 36 homers in a 79-game stretch. Two homers got here in a five-RBI outburst in opposition to the Browns, capped by a walk-off drive within the ninth.
Sept. 27, 1938: Two-homer sport brings Ruth inside attain
Greenberg entered the ultimate week of the season at 56 homers, however an inside-the-park homer and a drive to Briggs Stadium’s center-field higher deck within the second sport of a doubleheader in opposition to the Browns marked his third two-homer sport in 11 days and put Ruth’s file inside attain with 5 video games to go. Unfortunately, he didn’t homer once more.
July 1, 1945: Homecoming homer
Greenberg did not play in all or a part of 5 seasons in his prime years to serve in World War II. He joined the Army in May 1941 because the reigning American League MVP. He returned in 1945, at age 34, however his first sport again confirmed he nonetheless had one thing left to provide the sport and assist the first-place Tigers. After he walked and scored in a go-ahead six-run seventh inning, Greenberg hit a solo homer within the eighth to cap a 9-5 win as a part of a doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Athletics in entrance of a crowd of 47,729 at Briggs Stadium.
Sept. 30, 1945: Pennant-winning grand slam
Though the Tigers topped the league from mid-June on, it was an in depth race, with the lead by no means greater than 2 1/2 video games after Aug. 16. By the ultimate week, the lead was right down to a sport, and Detroit needed to win one sport in a doubleheader in opposition to the St. Louis Browns on a wet Sunday afternoon to lastly maintain off the Washington Senators.
Greenberg had been thrown out at third base because the potential go-ahead run within the eighth inning, however stepped to the plate within the ninth with the bases loaded, one out and a 3-2 deficit. The Browns deliberately walked 40-year-old outfielder Doc Cramer to arrange a possible game-winning double play, however Greenberg hit a Nels Potter pitch into the rain-soaked left-field stands to provide the Tigers a 6-3 win to maneuver on to the World Series.
Oct. 4, 1945: Go-ahead homer in World Series Game 2
The Tigers collectively hit simply .223 in opposition to the Cubs within the World Series, however Greenberg was a star, batting 7-for-23 with three doubles, seven RBIs and hitting each of Detroit’s homers. One of these drives was a go-ahead three-run shot in Game 2 that allowed the Tigers to even the collection and regain momentum after a tough loss within the opener. The Cubs had threatened to take command of Game 2 as effectively, however Greenberg threw out hot-hitting Stan Hack at dwelling plate from left subject within the opening inning previous to his homer.
Sept. 14, 1946: Greenberg drives in all seven Detroit runs
Though age started catching up with Greenberg in 1946, he nonetheless had one thing left at age 35 and led the league with 44 dwelling runs and 144 RBIs. He batted .319 with 16 homers and 39 RBIs over the ultimate month, throughout which he started utilizing a bat he obtained from Ted Williams, whom he finally handed for the house run and RBI titles. Greenberg drove in seven runs on a Saturday afternoon the place he accounted for the entire Tigers’ offense in a 7-4 win over the Yankees. The work he put in included a bases-clearing double within the first inning, a solo homer within the third and a three-run homer within the seventh. Though Greenberg completed with a flourish, the Tigers dealt him to the Pirates at season’s finish.
