His name is plastered on the outfield wall at Comerica Park. His stats speak volumes.
On Sunday afternoon, in a ceremony before the Tigers take on the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park, the team will honor Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg along with Aviva Kempner and John Rosengren, two people who have helped preserve his memory.
Kempner, a close friend of mine, who lived around the corner from me in Washington, grew up in Detroit and has produced a first-rate documentary, "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg." The film won a Peabody award.
Rosengren wrote the definitive biography on "Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes," published in hard cover by the Penguin Group this past spring.
Besides being a Hall of Famer, Greenberg was a two-time MVP and held quite a few Tigers records, including most home runs in a season (58) and most RBIs in a season (183). He led the team to four American League pennants and two World Series championships.
Greenberg started his rookie season with the Tigers in 1933. The team retired his No. 5 thirty years ago.
Kempner -- who wrote, directed and produced "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" -- released the film in 1998. Since then it has aired on public TV and been shown in various venues around the country. Kempner is promoting her recently released DVD set, which has the original documentary along with over two hours of new material, including interviews with Ted Williams, Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg the original Tigers team of the ‘30s and ‘40s.
In a little plug for the two, Kempner and Rosengren, before the game and following the ceremony, will sign copies of the DVD and book that are purchased on the concourse near Gate D.
Later Sunday at 7 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center's Berman Center for Performing Arts on Maple Road in West Bloomfield, Kempner will show show clips from her new Hank Greenberg DVD. Rosengren will speak about Greenberg and his place in the city’s history.
