The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (NR) ★★½

The life and discrimination faced by ''Hammering Hank'' Greenberg, the first Jewish baseball star, is told in this documentary by Aviva Kempner.

Story

From his outfield stint with the Detroit Tigers to his bid for Babe Ruth's single-season home run record (he fell short by two), the road to the Hall of Fame was not an easy one. Among the more memorable moments: Greenberg's decisions not to play crucial games because they fell on certain Jewish holidays (and subsequently, the Tigers lost) and the testaments from people who say his fame was an inspiration for Jews during World War II. Especially touching is his encounter with a young Jackie Robinson, to whom he gave advice on the field about how to deal with bigotry.

Direction

Original footage of Greenberg's milestone games is cut with interviews with family members, sports figures and other famous Jews. Kempner puts Cole Porter standards to movie clips from ''Pride of the Yankees,'' ''Woman of the Year'' and others, providing the right amount of baseball nostalgia. Despite the documentary's focus on Greenberg's religion, the effect is watered down because Greenberg, on the whole, doesn't come across as being at all fanatical about Judaism.

Bottom Line

Clearly geared toward Greenberg fans and anyone in the mood for a little '30s and '40s nostalgia, this documentary will have non-baseball fans longing for that seventh-inning stretch.