The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg | The rest of the story . . .

VHS: The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

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The Life and Times...

	The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1999 average customer review:based on 1 review view larger image
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Aviva Kempner's Oscar-nominated documentary is about baseball like Field of Dreams is about cornfields. Kempner efficiently covers all the bases of Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg's magnificent career with archival footage and talking heads, including family members, former teammates and baseball legends, broadcasters and sportswriters, and such unabashed fans as Alan Dershowitz and Walter Matthau. If this biography's style is not remarkable, its subject certainly was. Greenberg, the son of immigrant parents, was a beacon of hope to Jews. As one observer notes, baseball was a way of "showing we were as American as everybody else." To see one of their own succeed in the national pastime at a time of virulent anti-Semitism was a source of pride and inspiration. One lifelong fan, a rabbi, states, "He was the baseball Moses." Winner of several critics association awards for Best Documentary, this is a stirring film for all seasons. --Donald Liebenson

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The rest of the story . . .

My father often talks of how Hank Greenberg is not given the credit he deserves as a ballplayer, as a great power hitter and as an amazing story of persistence in coming back as a tremendous player after serving in World War II. I bought my father this video as a Father's Day gift, and I think I enjoyed it as much as he did.

This documentary/biography is not at all dry. Many people, famous and not, are shown speaking of their admiration for Hank Greenberg as a player and as a man. The video emphasizes heavily his role as the first openly Jewish player in major league baseball, the bigotry he faced, and the grace with which he responded to it. A home run with two men on base was Greenberg's reply to an ethnic slur; what could be better?

There was also more to Hank Greenberg than a tall Jewish guy who could hit the ball a long way (often). Many major-leaguers disappear after they stop playing baseball. Hank Greenberg didn't fade away; he transitioned into the business arena, and this video tells you that story, too.

I enjoy the statistics of baseball and Greenberg's performance numbers were not mentioned as much as I would have liked, but that is a minor point. After seeing this video, I feel I know the first Hammerin' Hank as well as any of today's players, and admire him more than the vast majority playing today, not just for his hitting prowess but for his character.

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