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Yes He Is a HOFer, Smacked 58 HRs, Had 183 RBIs, But What Is The Amazing Popularity With Hank Greenb

JackWESQJackWESQ Posts: 2,133 ✭✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Is he a HOFer? Yes.
Did he smack 58 HRs in 1938? Yes.
Did he have 183 RBIs in 1937? Yes.

Was he a real good player? Yes.

But beyond that, what is the amazing fascination/popularity with Hank Greenberg and his cards? (Read: His cards sell really well.)

/s/ JackWESQ
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Comments

  • pomobileclkpomobileclk Posts: 224 ✭✭✭
    He was Jewish
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  • GuruGuru Posts: 3,127
    You know what, you're right! I can't really understand it myself either.
  • JackWESQJackWESQ Posts: 2,133 ✭✭✭


    << <i>He was Jewish >>



    I noticed that. If you type in "Greenberg Jewish" on ebay, you will virtually always get some listings. Okay. But since when does an athlete's religion have anything to do with his popularity? I mean, I believe Shawn Green is jewish. (Though he is not quite the player of Greenberg's caliber.) And his cards, well ...

    /s/ JackWESQ

    P.S. I'm not being sarcastic. I really find this curious.
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  • bobbybakerivbobbybakeriv Posts: 2,186 ✭✭✭✭
    I think a part of it also has to do with the "what might have been" factor. I read somewhere that Greenberg only played about 10 full seasons due to WWII, injuries, early retirement, etc. So, his numbers could have been much better...if only. Mickey Mantle's mystique likely profits from this as well IMHO. Just my two cents. I think his Jewish heritage has a lot if not the most to do with his popularity among some collectors. Still, he was a great baseball player, let's not shortchange the original Hammer. image
  • yankeeno7yankeeno7 Posts: 9,253 ✭✭✭
    It's definately because he was Jewish. Other than Koufax, he is either more popular or as popular. There isnt a lot of his stuff out there so it definately goes for a premium.
  • fkwfkw Posts: 1,766 ✭✭
    Jewish player cards go for big $$ in many cases. Some tougher players as much as 50X more than they should sell for.

  • digicatdigicat Posts: 8,551 ✭✭


    << <i>But since when does an athlete's religion have anything to do with his popularity? >>



    It makes it easier (on the surface at least) to relate to the player when you have something in common with them.
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  • GDM67GDM67 Posts: 2,526 ✭✭✭✭
    It's not simply that he was Jewish. Also factored in is the fact that he faced a lot of subtle (and not so subtle) discrimination on and off the field; that he practically knocked down the recruitment office door to volunteer after Pearl Harbor was attacked; that he was a public, uncompromising supporter of Jackie Robinson and, later, Curt Flood.

    Simply put, the man walked the walk and a lot of people find him fascinating.
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  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭


    << <i>It's not simply that he was Jewish. Also factored in is the fact that he faced a lot of subtle (and not so subtle) discrimination on and off the field; that he practically knocked down the recruitment office door to volunteer after Pearl Harbor was attacked; that he was a public, uncompromising supporter of Jackie Robinson and, later, Curt Flood.

    Simply put, the man walked the walk and a lot of people find him fascinating. >>



    ................................................

    Okay. But since when does an athlete's religion have anything to do with his popularity?

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    He got lots of Jewish folks paying attention to the game, but he would have
    been the same caliber player and fellow regardless of his race/religion.

    Many Jewish folks I work with are BIG into both Greenberg and Koufax.
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  • JackWESQJackWESQ Posts: 2,133 ✭✭✭
    I don't want this thread to develop into a discussion about religion, but when it comes to religion and cards/player popularity, is the Jewish religion (and I'm not even sure it is a religion, e.g, is it a religion? an ethnicity? a heritage? a ...) the only one that "counts." In other words, if it was ever revealed that Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez were Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, etc., would anybody care/would be become more popular/collectable. But if Jeter or ARod revealed that they were Jewish, well ...

    /s/ JackWESQ

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  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    Back in the day, minorities simply had fewer athlete "heroes" from
    their own ranks. Perfectly fine and normal for folks to want to admire
    folks who are "like" themselves.

    Nowadays, I am not entirely sure that many folks much care what religion
    or race their sports favorites are. Of course, the first Muslim-Jihadist pitcher
    is likely going to have a tougher time attracting fans than Jackie Robinson did.


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    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • GDM67GDM67 Posts: 2,526 ✭✭✭✭
    I see a lot of notations of players cards on eBay that mention, in the header, so that it shows up in searches, that the player is a Cuban. Some people simply like to follow and collect players they share something with.

    If there was an unusually high level of interest in cards of (for example), Mike Epstein, that might seem a little weird. Koufax and Greenberg, on the other hand, are both HOFers, both uncommon men in many other respects. I'm at a loss to see what is so vexing about any of this.
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  • OAKESY25OAKESY25 Posts: 4,726 ✭✭✭
    GREENBERG IS WILDLY UNDER APPRECIATED ( sorry bout the caps )
  • tennesseebankertennesseebanker Posts: 5,434 ✭✭✭
    Maybe thats why Mike Greenburg of Mike and Mike is popular as well.image
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  • lsutigers1973lsutigers1973 Posts: 11,093 ✭
    Comparing Arod or Jeter's religion in 2008 to Greenberg's in the '30s is abosolutely ridiculous. Jews were persecuted even on American soil in the early 20th century just as African Americans were in the 50's and 60's. Greeneberg endured a lot of the same prjudices when he was playing as Robinson did when he broke the color barrier.
  • shagrotn77shagrotn77 Posts: 5,628 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>GREENBERG IS WILDLY UNDER APPRECIATED ( sorry bout the caps ) >>



    Amen to that brother! Yes, the fact that he was Jewish certainly helps his card prices now as there are many Jewish collectors (who collect Jewish items I mean), but his stats were awesome. Just an RBI machine. It's really a shame he lost 3 full years to the war.
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  • OAKESY25OAKESY25 Posts: 4,726 ✭✭✭
    Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG *OPS+ TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP
    +--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
    1930 19 DET AL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 -100 0 0 0
    1933 22 DET AL 117 449 59 135 33 3 12 87 6 2 46 78 .301 .367 .468 118 210 2 1
    1934 23 DET AL 153 593 118 201 63 7 26 139 9 5 63 93 .339 .404 .600 156 356 9 2 MVP-6
    1935 24 DET AL 152 619 121 203 46 16 36 170 4 3 87 91 .328 .411 .628 169 389 4 0 MVP-1
    1936 25 DET AL 12 46 10 16 6 2 1 16 1 0 9 6 .348 .455 .630 165 29 0 0
    1937 26 DET AL 154 594 137 200 49 14 40 183 8 3 102 101 .337 .436 .668 172 397 2 3 MVP-3 ,AS
    1938 27 DET AL 155 556 144 175 23 4 58 146 7 5 119 92 .315 .438 .683 169 380 3 3 MVP-3, AS
    1939 28 DET AL 138 500 112 156 42 7 33 112 8 3 91 95 .312 .420 .622 156 311 11 2 8 MVP-18, AS
    1940 29 DET AL 148 573 129 195 50 8 41 150 6 3 93 75 .340 .433 .670 171 384 3 1 15 MVP-1, AS
    1941 30 DET AL 19 67 12 18 5 1 2 12 1 0 16 12 .269 .410 .463 121 31 0 0 1
    1945 34 DET AL 78 270 47 84 20 2 13 60 3 1 42 40 .311 .404 .544 167 147 0 0 9 MVP-14, AS
    1946 35 DET AL 142 523 91 145 29 5 44 127 5 1 80 88 .277 .373 .604 163 316 1 0 17 MVP-8
    1947 36 PIT NL 125 402 71 100 13 2 25 74 0 104 73 .249 .408 .478 132 192 0 4 16
    +--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
    13 Seasons 5193 1628 71 1276 26 844 .313 .412 .605 158 35 0 0 16 66
    1394 1051 379 331 58 852 3142
    +--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
    162 Game Avg 603 122 189 44 8 38 148 7 3 99 98 .313 .412 .605 158 365 4 0 0 2 8
    Career High 155 619 144 203 63 16 58 183 9 5 119 101 .340 .438 .683 172 397 11 0 0 4 17
  • BobaFett72BobaFett72 Posts: 7,304
    he was a legend and a pioneer for Jewish fans/players.

    he missed 4 season+ from 1941-1946.

    His 162 game average:

    603 122 189 44 8 38 148 7 3 99 98 .313 .412 .605
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