The return of Hank Greenberg

After missing three full seasons, the most of a fourth and nearly half of a fifth to serve in the Army during World War II, future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg finally returns to the Detroit Tigers’ lineup 79 years ago today.

He makes the most of that 1945 return, too.

Playing in front of a Sunday afternoon crowd of 47,729 at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium, Greenberg starts in left field and goes hitless with a walk in his first four plate appearances.

In his fifth time up, Greenberg drills a pitch from Philadelphia left-hander Charlie Gassaway to deep left field for a home run in the eighth inning that gives the Tigers their final run in a 9-5 victory over the Athletics in the first game of a doubleheader.

Greenberg sits out the second game, which the Tigers also win 5-3.

Greenberg – seen here batting in the seventh inning in that game 79 years ago today against Philadelphia’s Bobo Newsom – hits 12 more homers in 77 games to finish the regular season before homering twice in the 1945 World Series as the Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs in seven games.