74 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2019
BY STEVE STEIN
sports HIGHlights
brought to you in partnership with
NMLS#2289
Farmington Hills native David Vinsky
had a solid first season as a professional
baseball player.
The St. Louis Cardinals’
15th-round
draft choice in June finished the summer
as the starting centerfielder for the State
College (Pa.) Spikes in the short-season
Class A New York-Penn League.
His .284 batting average ranked
seventh in the league and his 67 hits tied
for seventh place.
He was selected to
play in the league’
s
All-Star Game on
Aug. 21 in Staten
Island, N.Y.
Vinsky, 21, had
a standout career
at Northwood
University before
being drafted by the
Cardinals.
quick hits
Defenseman Eric
Israel has signed
to play profession-
al hockey with the
Fort Wayne Comets
of the ECHL (for-
merly East Coast
Hockey League).
The 24-year-old
Huntington Woods
native played four years at Robert
Morris University, where he scored 21
goals and had 85 points in 146 games.
Israel led Robert Morris defensemen
in goals, assists and points each of the
last three seasons. Last season, he tied
for fifth in Division I with 85 blocked
shots.
Winning gold medals
at the annual Michigan
Senior Olympics in August
turned into a family affair
for the Ellis family.
Weightlifter Jeff
Ellis of West Bloomfield
took first place in the
age 60-64 198-pound
division with a 270-pound
bench press, which set a
division record.
His wife Lori Ellis
and 90-year-old mother-in-law Sophie Klisman of
Commerce Township each competed in the 1,500-
meter powerwalk.
Lori Ellis took first place in the age 60-64 age
group in 10:27, the fastest time ever for a female
competitor in the event in Michigan Senior Olympics
history. She beat nine of the 11 men in the race.
Klisman finished in 18:03, setting a record in the
90-94 age group.
Walk of Heroes
Life stories inspire on the
Hank Greenberg Walk of Heroes.
STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON BROWN
H
ank Greenberg is a hero
for many reasons.
In addition to his
Baseball Hall of Fame creden-
tials, the former Detroit Tigers
star exhibited extraordinary
dedication to his country and
his religion.
He served 47 months in the
U.S. Army during World War
II while he was playing for the
Tigers and he famously refused
to play in an important game
for the Tigers on Yom Kippur
in 1934.
Greenberg’
s name is now
synonymous with other heroes.
The Hank Greenberg Walk of
Heroes will open to the public
Friday, Oct. 4, at Detroit PAL’
s
the Corner Ballpark, former site
of Tiger Stadium.
Funded by the William
Davidson Foundation and
the Greenberg family, the
exhibit features 12 stories of
Michiganders involved in sports
— including Greenberg — who
displayed exceptional character
and were innovators and trail-
blazers.
Former Sen.
Carl Levin, one
of the organizers
of the project,
said it’
s fitting the
Walk of Heroes is
adjacent to the old
Tiger Stadium field
where boxer Joe Louis fought
and anti-apartheid revolution-
ary and former South Africa
President Nelson Mandela
spoke.
And the Walk of Heroes is
close to the Willie Horton Field
of Dreams, the diamond at the
Corner Ballpark.
“The stories told on the Walk
of Heroes will inspire young
people to overcome the obsta-
cles they face in their lives,”
Levin said. “Everyone who
reads the stories will be inspired
because this is such a diverse
group of heroes and heroines.”
Detroit PAL is a not-for-
profit organization that part-
ners with the Detroit Police
Department to provide athletic,
academic and leadership pro-
grams for Detroit’
s youth.
More than 15,000 youth are
impacted by Detroit PAL each
year and more than 2,600 vol-
unteers are trained to become
positive coaches and mentors.
Each story on the Walk of
Heroes brings life to Detroit
PAL’
s commitment to “Helping
Youth Find Their Greatness.”
“Through their legacies,
these sports legends continue to
strengthen our city and region,”
said Robert Jamerson, Detroit
PAL’
s interim CEO. “We can all
learn so much from these lead-
ers, especially the children who
take part in PAL’
s programs.”
In alphabetical order, here
are the other honorees besides
Greenberg on the Walk of
Carl Levin
JASON BROWN
The entrance to the Hank Greenberg Walk of Heroes