Greenberg, who stood 6-foot-4 and hailed from an Orthodox Jewish family, struggled to find suitors early in his career. Signed and released by the New York Yankees—then anchored at first base by Lou Gehrig—and passed over by the New York Giants, he finally caught on with the Detroit Tigers in 1930. He didn’t become a regular until 1933, but went on to win two American League MVP awards, lead Detroit to four World Series appearances (winning in 1935 and 1945), and earn four All-Star selections.
Greenberg was as outspoken as he was talented. During a 1930s game in Chicago, a White Sox player on the bench hurled the slur “stinking kike” at him. Greenberg confronted the visitor’s dugout, demanding the offender’s identity; no one admitted to the remark. On another occasion, an opponent asked him, “Is it true Jews have horns?”—a question that revealed the depth of prejudice he faced.
In Detroit—home to antisemitic industrialist Henry Ford—Greenberg quickly became a protector of the local Jewish community. He answered bigotry with baseball, transforming himself into a symbol of Jewish-American pride and resilience.
Just as he reached the peak of his career in 1941, Greenberg was drafted into the U.S. Army. Originally classified unfit due to flat feet, he insisted on a second examination and won his way into service. He was briefly discharged under a new age exemption on Dec. 5, 1941, only to re-enlist two days later after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served nearly four years as an officer in the China-Burma-India theater, helping to identify B-29 bomber bases, and remains the longest-serving major leaguer in U.S. military history.
Greenberg’s single-season total of 58 home runs in 1938 came within two of Babe Ruth’s then-record 60—a mark no right-hander would approach again until 2022.
Off the field, Greenberg married Caral Gimbel of the prominent Jewish department-store family; they had three children. Disillusioned with organized religion after World War II, he formally left the faith in 1946, though he instilled in his children a strong moral code of responsibility to humanity. He divorced in 1958 and in 1966 married actress Mary Jo Tarola; they remained together until his death in 1986.
After retiring as a player, Greenberg built the Cleveland Indians into a 1950s powerhouse as a front-office executive. He became the first Jewish inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956. In 1983, Detroit retired his No. 5 jersey; in 1999, he was ranked 37th on MLB’s list of the 100 greatest players. The U.S. Postal Service issued a Hank Greenberg commemorative stamp, and Congress awarded him a medal for valor in military service.
Facing slurs, antisemites and the hardships of war, Hank Greenberg remained unbowed. More than a ballplayer, he was a legend in his own lifetime.
