New Year’s Baby Hank Greenberg and Rosh Hashanah

One hundred-one years ago on January 1, 1911 Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates hall of famer Henry Benjamin ‘Hank’ Greenberg was born in New York, New York. He played 13 seasons in the majors and is widely recognized as the greatest Jewish baseball position player of all-time. But it is what he did in 1934 that made him a hero for life to Jewish baseball fans.

Greenberg grew up in New York and went to high school in the Bronx. At 6’ 3” he stood out and was an All-City athlete in soccer and basketball, but baseball was his favorite sport. He was an awkward six-footer so decided on first base as his position. The New York Yankees knew about Hank Greenberg and offered him a contract in 1929. He turned them down, because the team already had Lou Gehrig at first base.

Greenberg spent a year at New York University before signing with the Tigers in 1930. He made one plate appearance in the majors that year, but was not called up permanently until 1933. At the time of his arrival segregation included Jewish people as well as African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics. There were many players who resented him and did not think that he should be allowed to play major league baseball. But Hank Greenberg did not let this bother him. He batted .301 with 87 runs batted in (RBI) his rookie year.

Then came 1934 and the dilemma for Greenberg. That season he helped lead the Tigers from fifth to first place in the American League. With the team up by four games and the High Holy Day Rosh Hashanah on September 10, Greenberg had to make a decision on whether to play or not.

The question of Hank Greenberg playing on Rosh Hashanah was debated by rabbis, Jews and non-Jewish baseball fans. With his stellar play Greenberg had earned admiration and gained acceptance for Jews among non-Jewish Americans across the country. If he decided not to play then he would please those who were Jewish. If he did play then he would disappoint some Jews, but please baseball fans across the country.

Greenberg decided to play on Rosh Hashanah against the Boston Red Sox and hit two home runs to win the game 2-1. Ten days later on Yom Kippur, Hank Greenberg spent the day at a synagogue and did not play as the Tigers lost. His not playing on the second High Holy Day inspired Edgar Guest to write a poem in tribute to him.

Greenberg and the Tigers went on to win the pennant. They lost the World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals and their ‘Gashouse Gang.’

The next season, Detroit won the World Series and Greenberg was the first Jewish player voted league MVP. But it was what he did on Rash Hashanah and Yom Kippur that Greenberg will be remembered for by many.

It is worth celebrating on what would be birthday number 101 for Hank Greenberg.