Haven’t done one of these in a while.
Research for my bio on Hank Greenberg in 1938 — scheduled for release next spring via Skyhorse — continues in halts and starts. Just when I think I’m about done with the research phase and am ready to begin writing in earnest, something else comes up I think needs investigating. I tell you, it’s a real rabbit hole. For example, I’m looking at a newspaper story from the time and an advertisement catches my eye. So I start looking at more of those, which leads me to wonder about air-conditioning, which leads me to the fact that teams traveled by train, which leads me to wonder about schedules and travel time, hotels, etc. (stream of consciousness, right?). It’s also fascinating to see what editors deemed important enough to put on the front pages. In the early part of the season things were relatively local, but as summer turned into fall there was more and more dire news about what was happening in Europe.
Deciding what will go into the book kind of reminds me of this:
Sure, I’ll talk about the games, but to make things interesting I might included a tidbit about what Greenberg might have paid for a suit, or what fans thought of his accomplishments, or how it might have been difficult to hail a cab because Detroit wasn’t manufacturing as many cars, etc., etc.
Anyway, on June 28, 1938…
Greenberg was 0-3 and walked once intentionally as the Tigers lost to the host Cleveland Indians, 5-4. He flied out to center in the second; lined out to right in the fourth; lined out to center in the sixth; and walked intentionally to load the bases with two out in the eighth. That move proved prescient when Chet Laabs struck out to end the threat.
Tiger starter Tommy Bridge retired the Indians without damage in the first but gave up five runs in the second and left without retiring a batter. He was replaced by MOT Harry Eisenstat who pitched seven shutout frames.
is available on Amazon.com,
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