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