Shawn Green
Encyclopedia
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 player.

Green was a 1st round draft
Draft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...

 pick and a two-time major league All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...

. He drove in 100 runs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...

 four times and scored 100 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...

 four times, hit 40 or more home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

s three times, led the league in doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....

, extra base hits, and total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....

, won both a Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...

 and a Silver Slugger
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...

 Award, and set the Dodgers single-season record in home runs. Green was also in the top five in the league in home runs, RBIs, intentional walk
Intentional base on balls
In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by IBB, is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the pitched ball...

s, and MVP voting.

Green holds or is tied for the following major league records: most home runs in a game (4), most extra base hits in a game (5), most total bases in a game (19), most runs scored in a game (6), most home runs in two consecutive games (5), most home runs in three consecutive games (7), and most consecutive home runs (4). He hit his 4 home runs, 5 extra base hits, and 19 total bases against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

 in . Green broke the record of 18 total bases (4 home runs and double) set by Joe Adcock
Joe Adcock
Joseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock was an American first baseman and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats...

 of the Milwaukee Braves (vs. Brooklyn Dodgers) in .

At the time of his retirement, he was one of only four active players with at least 300 home runs, 1,000 runs and RBIs, 400 doubles, a .280 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...

, and 150 stolen bases. The others were Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...

, Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...

, and Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...

, each of whom was at least two years older than Green, with at least 1,400 more at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...

s (though in each case, the other three had considerably more home runs and, in the case of Bonds, far more doubles and runs scored too).

Green was noted for his smooth swing. He was also known for the strength and accuracy of his arm; he had 14 assists from the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...

, for example, in .

Green was one of the best-known Jewish major league ballplayers, and the most prominent one with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

 since Art Shamsky
Art Shamsky
Arthur Louis Shamsky is a former Major League Baseball player. He played right field, left field, and first base from to for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. In he was the manager of the Modi'in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League.-Early life:Shamsky...

 played right field for the World Champion Mets. Of Jewish major leaguers, only Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...

, with 331 home runs and 1,276 RBIs, has more major league home runs and RBIs than Green, and only Buddy Myer
Buddy Myer
Charles Solomon "Buddy" Myer was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1925 to 1941.An excellent hitter, he batted .300 or better in eight full seasons, and retired with a career average of .303. He walked more than twice as many times as he struck out...

 (who may not have been Jewish) has more hits. Green opted to miss games on Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...

, even when his team was in the middle of a playoff race. Green was arguably the best Jewish baseball player since Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...

, although his stats (especially his home runs) declined in his last years. Shawn Green retired on February 28, 2008.

High school

Green attended Tustin High School
Tustin High School
Tustin High School is a public high school located in Tustin, California, United States. Tustin High was originally founded in 1921 as Tustin Union High School.Tustin High School is officially a Title I school and was a California Distinguished School...

 in Tustin
Tustin, California
-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, where he tied the California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...

 record with 147 hits during his high school career. He was a 1st team selection to the 1991 USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

 All-USA high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 team, while ranking 3rd in his class academically. Mark Grace also played baseball for Tustin.

College and the baseball draft

In , Green won a baseball scholarship to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

, where he became a brother of the Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...

 International Fraternity.

Green was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....

 as their 1st round pick (16th overall) in the 1991 amateur draft
Draft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...

. He ultimately struck a deal with the Blue Jays. They agreed that Green would play in the minor leagues during the summer, but go back to the university in the off-season.

Green received one of the highest signing bonuses at that time ($725,000; ($ today)), a portion of which he donated to the Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority
Toronto Community Housing Corporation
Toronto Community Housing Corporation is a public housing agency in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the second-largest housing provider in North America. TCHC is the amalgamation of three housing organizations in Toronto following the downloading of housing to municipalities by the provincial...

 Breakfast Club (which provides breakfast for kids who would otherwise go to school hungry).

Minor league career

In , Green played for the Dunedin Blue Jays
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a minor league baseball team based in Dunedin, Florida. They play in the Florida State League, and are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club...

 of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...

, and was selected to the league's all-star team.

Green spent most of and in the minors, where he compiled impressive numbers. In 1994, he hit .344—winning the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...

 batting title—while ranking third in runs, hits, and on-base percentage and hitting 13 home runs with 81 RBIs for Toronto's AAA affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs. He was an International League all-star, was voted the International League Rookie of the Year, and was also voted the International League's Best Batting Prospect, Best Outfield Arm, and Most Exciting Player in Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...

's Tools of the Trade poll. In addition, he won the R. Howard Webster Award as the Chief's MVP, and was the Blue Jays' Minor League Player of the Year.

Green then hit .306 in the 1994– Venezuelan Winter League.

Toronto Blue Jays (1993–99)

Green made his Major League debut on September 28 as the second-youngest player in the Major Leagues. Though he did not play in the 1993 World Series
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...

, he was awarded a World Series ring. He would appear in just 17 games in 1993
1993 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Toronto Blue Jays over Philadelphia Phillies ; Paul Molitor, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series MVP: Curt Schilling...

 and 1994
1994 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason is played...

.

In 1995, his full rookie season, Green started in 97 games, hitting 15 home runs and batting .288. Green set Blue Jays rookie records in doubles (31), hit streak (14), extra base hits (50), and slugging percentage (.509). He came in 5th in voting for the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

 Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...

.

His and seasons were similar, in that Green was given limited at bats, wasn't trusted to hit left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...

 pitching
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

, and produced only sporadically. Green was, however, more aggressive on the basepaths in 1997 than in any previous year, stealing 14 bases while being caught only 3 times.

In 1998, Green was granted an everyday spot in the line-up and he delivered by becoming the first Blue Jay to both hit 30 or more home runs and steal 30 or more bases in the same season. He also became the tenth Major Leaguer to hit 35 or more home runs and steal 35 or more bases in a season, joining among others Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...

, Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...

, and Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...

. Green had never hit more than 18 home runs in a season (major or minor leagues). He finished the season batting .278 with 35 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 35 stolen bases (a career best).

In , Green proved his new-found power was no fluke. On April 22, he hit a 449 feet (136.9 m) home run into SkyDome's fifth deck, putting him in prestigious company with José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...

, Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...

, and Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....

. By the All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...

 break, he had hit 25 home runs and knocked in 70 runs, earning him not only his first All-Star appearance, but also a chance to compete in the Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...

 at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...

. Green hit only two home runs, however, and was eliminated in the first round. He finished the season batting .309 (a career best), with 42 home runs (5th in the league), 134 runs (2nd in the league, and a career best), 123 RBIs, and a .588 slugging percentage (5th best in the league). Green also led the league in doubles (45), extra-base hits (87), and total bases (361). He hit a home run in every 14.6 at bats. After the season, he was awarded a Gold Glove Award for his defense, and a Silver Slugger Award for his offense, and came in 5th in the voting for MVP.

In the off-season, Green expressed a desire to sign as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

 with a team closer to his California roots after the season. The Blue Jays, facing the rising contract demands of Green and slugger teammate Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado
Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández is a retired Puerto Rican professional baseball player. With 473 home runs and 1,512 RBI, he holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players....

, decided not to leave the decision of which player to pursue until mid-way through the season. On November 8, 1999, Green was traded with Jorge Nuñez
Jorge Núñez
Jorge Núñez may refer to:*Jorge Martín Núñez, Paraguayan footballer*Jorge Núñez , American Idol season 8 contestant...

 to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

 for Pedro Borbón, Jr.
Pedro Borbón, Jr.
Pedro Félix Borbón Marté, generally known in English as Pedro Borbón, Jr. , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for nine seasons for four teams, including four seasons for the Atlanta Braves, and three seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays...

 and Raúl Mondesí
Raúl Mondesí
Raúl Ramón Mondesí Avelino is a former Major League Baseball player and the current mayor of San Cristóbal Province in the Dominican Republic. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1994 as a right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers...

. Green quickly signed an extension with Los Angeles, agreeing to a $84 million ($ today)/6-year deal that included a $4 million ($ today) signing bonus.

Los Angeles Dodgers (2000–04)

With a lot of pressure riding on his now well-paid shoulders, Green struggled at times in 2000, his first season with Los Angeles. Still, he led the league in games played (with 162), and was 5th in the league in doubles with 44 (the second-highest total in Dodgers history), while driving in 99 runs. He also had one of the longest consecutive games on-base streaks in baseball history, at 53—5 behind Duke Snider
Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...

's modern day National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 (NL) record. He hit .329 in late innings of close games.

Green had a career year in , batting .297 (.331 with runners in scoring position) with a .598 slugging percentage (a career best), 49 home runs (a career best), 121 runs (7th in the league), 125 RBIs (a career best), 370 total bases (5th in the league), and 20 stolen bases. His 49 home runs were a Dodgers single-season record, but only tied for 4th in the league, behind Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....

, and Luis González
Luis Gonzalez (baseball outfielder)
Luis Emilio Gonzalez , nicknamed "Gonzo", is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. A Cuban-American, Gonzalez spent his best years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was one of the most popular players in that organization's history...

. For the 4th straight year he stole 20 or more bases, and batted .331 with runners in scoring position. Green came in sixth in voting for league MVP.
Green made headlines for two decisions that he made during the 2001 season. On September 26, he stood by his word and sat out a game for the first time in 415 games, to honor the most significant holiday on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...

. He also made a second notable decision on September 26, donating his day's pay of $75,000 ($ today) to a charity for survivors of the New York 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Green started off slowly in , but turned things around with a record-setting power display. On May 23, the turning point of his season, he had one of the best single game performances ever. He hit a Major League record-tying 4 home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers, and had 19 total bases, breaking Joe Adcock
Joe Adcock
Joseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock was an American first baseman and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats...

's 1954 Major League record by one, while matching the major league record of 6 runs scored in one game. Green and Carlos Delgado are the only two people to have hit four home runs in one game and played on the same team at the same time. They are as of the two most recent players to hit four home runs in a single game. No other major leaguer had 6 hits, 5 runs, and 4 extra-base hits in a game again until Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...

 of the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...

 in 2009.
He hit a 5th home run during the following game to tie the Major League 2-game home run record (5), and then hit 2 more the game after to break the Major League 3-game record (7). Green also broke the NL record with 9 home runs in that calendar week. He was voted to the All-Star team, and finished the season with a .285 average, .385 OBP (a career best), 42 home runs (3rd in the league), 114 RBIs (4th in the league), 114 runs (4th in the league), 93 walks (a career best), 22 intentional walks (5th in the league), and 20 stolen bases. He hit .333 with runners in scoring position
Scoring position
In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when he is on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter hits an extra base hit, while a runner on second or third...

 and two out. Green came in 5th in voting for league MVP.

In , Green struggled with his power and RBI production. He had problems with tendinitis in his left shoulder, which limited him to a 19 home runs and 85 RBIs as he batted .280. Still, he was 2nd in the league in doubles (with 49; a career best).

Green's power improved in , as he hit 28 home runs and collected 86 RBIs, while batting .266, leading the Dodgers to the 2004 playoffs. Green moved to first base for much of the season. He hit three home runs in the post-season, in just 16 at bats.

Green was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...

 on June 10, 2005. He waived his no-trade clause for a three-year extension from the team for $32 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...

. The trade was part of a three-team trade which sent Green and cash to the Diamondbacks, in exchange for catcher Dioner Navarro
Dioner Navarro
Dioner Favian Navarro Vivas is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher, who is a free agent.-New York Yankees:In 2000, Navarro was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent...

 and three minor leaguers.

Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–06)

While Green's batting average in 2005 (.286) was his best in four years, he walked fewer times (62) than he had in the prior 6 years, and hit fewer home runs (22) and scored fewer runs (87) than he had in all but seven of his prior seasons.

Green came to bat 398 times with the Diamondbacks before being traded in , and while his batting average and OBP were near his career averages, his slugging percentage (.425) was the lowest it had been since he broke into the Majors.

On August 22, 2006, Green was dealt, along with $6.5 million in cash, by the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...

 to the New York Mets for Triple-A
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

 23-year-old left-handed pitcher, Evan MacLane.

2006

Green's second at bat as a Met was an RBI single off Cardinals' pitcher Jason Marquis
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks....

, another Jewish ball player.

Overall, in 2006 Green had his worst offensive year in a decade. He hit only 15 home runs, with 66 RBI, four stolen bases, a .432 slugging percentage, and a .277 batting average. Green's 15 home runs matched his second-lowest total since becoming a full-time player. His 73 runs scored was also a significant drop-off from the 134 runs he scored in his outstanding 1999 season with Toronto. One bright point was that his .799 OPS against lefties was the 10th-best in the league for lefty batters. Curiously, while he had the 9th-highest ground ball/fly ball ratio in the league (2.17), he also tied with Barry Bonds for the longest average home run in the NL in 2006 (407 ft). His 470 feet (143.3 m) home run against the Mets on April 11 was the ninth-longest in the NL for the year, and only two longer home runs were hit in the AL. He also had another bright point—he struck out only 15.5% of the time, his best career year through 2006. He faded as the season progressed, dropping 65 points—and batting .240—after the All Star break.

After the season ended, Green was 18th of all active players in doubles (and younger than all those ahead of him), and in the top 30 of all active players in home runs, runs, total bases, and extra base hits. He was also in the top 100 of all players ever lifetime in home runs.

2006 marked only the second post-season appearance of Green's career. In the 2006 playoffs, Green tied for the team lead with 3 doubles, and hit .313, second best on the team (as the Mets hit only .250).

2007

On February 13, 2007, the Mets declined a $10 million mutual option on Green's contract, that would have kept him in New York through the season. He got a $2 million buyout
Buyout
A buyout, in finance, is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" control of the target company....

 instead. The report came amid retirement rumors. Green commented on them, saying: "There's been no decision on the future at all as far as I'm concerned. I'm planning on playing and seeing how things go...."

In the 5th inning of the May 25, 2007, game against the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

, Green suffered a chip fracture of the first metatarsal bone in his right foot when he fouled a ball off of it. Green at the time of the injury was batting .314, 10th-best in the NL, and .341 against right-handers, with 5 home runs, 22 RBIs, 12 doubles, and 4 stolen bases. On May 29, Green was placed on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...

; his first time on the DL in his career. The bone was expected to fully heal in 6 weeks, but he was activated well before then; on June 11 he was back in the lineup, though the bone was not completely healed, and went 2–4 with an RBI and a stolen base.
On June 24, Green started at first base for the first time since 2006, when he was a member of the Diamondbacks. On September 25, he notched his 2,000th career hit.

Retirement

After the 2007 season, Green became a free agent. He chose to retire before the start of the 2008 season, as he wanted to be with his family. Green confirmed his retirement on February 28, 2008.

Through 2010, he was second in career home runs and RBIs (behind Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...

) and hits (behind Buddy Myer
Buddy Myer
Charles Solomon "Buddy" Myer was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1925 to 1941.An excellent hitter, he batted .300 or better in eight full seasons, and retired with a career average of .303. He walked more than twice as many times as he struck out...

), and tenth in batting average (behind Morrie Arnovich
Morrie Arnovich
Morrie Arnovich, known as Snooker, was a stocky Major League Baseball outfielder. He was a line drive hitter and he played seven seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Giants between , and , and again for one game in .One of the most religious Jewish major...

), among all-time Jewish major league baseball players.

2013 World Baseball Classic

Green is eligible to play for Israel in the 2013 World Baseball Classic
2013 World Baseball Classic
The 2013 World Baseball Classic will be an international baseball competition. The Classic was expanded to 28 teams, from 16.Japan won the first two World Baseball Classics, in 2006 and 2009.- Qualification:...

, inasmuch as he is Jewish and under the Classic's rules non-Israeli citizens of Jewish heritage can play for the country, and said in early June 2011 that assuming it works out, that "it would be an honor" and he "would love to" play for Israel in the Classic.

Fielding

In 1998, Green had 14 assists and 5 double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....

s from the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...

. Most of Green's innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...

 in the field were in right field, where he was awarded a Gold Glove Award in 1999. In 2005, he did not commit an error in the outfield. Green also played over 100 games at first base (mostly in 2004 and 2006), and over 50 games each in center field and left field. Green, lifetime, has a better fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...

 at each position than the league average.

Accomplishments

  • Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Player of the Year (1994)
  • Fifth in AL Rookie of the Year
    MLB Rookie of the Year Award
    In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...

     voting (1995)
  • Topps All-Star Rookie Team (1995)
  • Member of the 30-30 club
    30-30 club
    The 30–30 club is a grouping of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases plateaus in the same season....

     (1998)
  • All-Star (1999, 2002)
  • AL Total Bases leader (1999)
  • AL Doubles leader (1999)
  • AL Gold Glove Award
    Gold Glove Award
    The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...

     (1999)
  • AL Silver Slugger Award (1999)
  • Ninth in AL MVP voting (1999)
  • Toronto Blue Jays Player of the Year (1999)
  • Holds Dodgers record for most home runs in a season, with 49 (2001)
  • Sixth in NL MVP voting (2001)

  • LA Dodgers Player of the Year (2001)
  • Four home runs in a game (May 23, 2002)
  • Holds record for total bases in a game, with 19 (May 23, 2002)
  • Fifth in NL MVP voting (2002)
  • 20-Home Run Seasons: 7 (1998–2002, 2004 & 2005)
  • 30-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1998, 1999, 2001 & 2002)
  • 40-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1999, 2001 & 2002)
  • 100 RBI Seasons: 4 (1998, 1999, 2001 & 2002)
  • 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 4 (1998, 1999, 2001 & 2002)
  • Only Major League player to ever hit seven home runs in a three-game span (May 23 (4), 24 (1), 25 (2), 2002)
  • Recorded his 2,000th Major League hit (September 25, 2007)


Salaries

  • 1993 Toronto Blue Jays $109,000
  • 1994 Toronto Blue Jays $109,000
  • 1995 Toronto Blue Jays $130,000
  • 1996 Toronto Blue Jays $287,500
  • 1997 Toronto Blue Jays $500,000
  • 1998 Toronto Blue Jays $1,475,000
  • 1999 Toronto Blue Jays $3,125,000
  • 2000 L.A. Dodgers $9,416,667 (10th highest in the NL
    National League
    The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

    )

  • 2001 L.A. Dodgers $12,166,667 (7th highest in the NL)
  • 2002 L.A. Dodgers $13,416,667 (4th highest in the NL)
  • 2003 L.A. Dodgers $15,666,667 (4th highest in the NL)
  • 2004 L.A. Dodgers $16,666,667 (3rd highest in the NL)
  • 2005 Arizona Diamondbacks $8,500,000
  • 2006 Arizona Diamondbacks/N.Y. Mets $10,213,898
  • 2007 N.Y. Mets $9,500,000


Non-baseball career

  • Made a cameo appearance
    Cameo appearance
    A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...

     on the series premiere of the hit show Numb3rs
    NUMB3RS
    Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...

    (2005), while he was a Los Angeles Dodger.
  • Appeared as himself in The Core
    The Core
    The Core is a 2003 American disaster film loosely based on the novel Core by Paul Preuss. It concerns a team that has to drill to the center of the Earth and set off a series of nuclear explosions in order to restart the rotation of Earth's core...

    (2003), and in The Nick Cannon Show
    The Nick Cannon Show
    The Nick Cannon Show is an American television comedy spin-off of All That. It aired on Nickelodeon's SNICK block 2002-2003 along with All That, The Amanda Show and Taina...

    (2002) – Nick Takes Over Baseball.

Personal life

Shawn Green has a residence in the Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

 suburb of Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...

, not far from his old Tustin hometown. Green and his wife have two daughters, Presley Taylor, born on December 22, 2002, and Chandler Rose, born on August 26, 2005.

Charitable work

Green assists several charities, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. Driven by volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research...

, Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....

, Parkinsons Foundation, and the United Jewish Federation. He donated $250,000 of his salary each year to the Dodgers' Dream Foundation ($1.5 million over 6 years), supporting the development of 4 Dodger Dream Fields throughout LA and the purchase of books for local elementary schools and youth community programs. He also served as Spokesman for the Jewish Federation
Jewish Federation
A Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community...

 of Greater Los Angeles to promote literacy.

In 2007, Green pledged to donate $180—or 10 times chai
Chai (symbol)
Chai is a symbol and word that figures prominently in Jewish culture. It consists of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet Chet and Yod .The Hebrew word "living" is related to the term for "life", chaim; ḥayyim....

—to the UJA-Federation of New York for every run batted in. This was also matched by the New York Mets and Steiner Sports Collectibles. Chai, which means life in Hebrew, has a numerological value of 18 and the Jewish community often gives gifts in multiples of 18 as a result.

Honors and awards

  • Honored at the Baseball Assistance Team's annual Going to Bat for BAT
    Bat
    Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...

     fundraising dinner as the recipient of the Bart Giamatti Award for his off-the-field involvement in the community in 2000.
  • Named Baseball Man of the Year at the Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular on June 29, 2003, an event that helped raise money for the hospital's genetic defects unit.
  • Named a 2003 inductee into the Arizona Fall League
    Arizona Fall League
    The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...

     Hall of Fame
    Hall of Fame
    A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...

    .
  • Presented the Hank Greenberg Sportsmanship Award by the American Jewish Historical Society
    American Jewish Historical Society
    The American Jewish Historical Society was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of the American Jewish heritage and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation and dissemination of materials relating to American...

     in 2004.
  • Inducted into the Orange County Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
    Irvine, California
    Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...

     at the Merage Jewish Community Center in Irvine, California.

Miscellaneous

  • While Green is often likened to the former Jewish slugger, Hank Greenberg, Green's grandfather in fact shortened the family name from Greenberg to Green, for "business reasons."
  • Green's walkup songs were "Be Yourself" by Audioslave
    Audioslave
    Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...

     and "Song 2" by Blur
    Blur (band)
    Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...

    .
  • Threw his batting gloves to children each time he hit a home run in his home ballpark.
  • Has two bats in the National Baseball Hall of Fame: 1) the bat he used on May 23, 2002, to hit 4 homers against the Milwaukee Brewers; and 2) the bat he used to hit a grand slam on May 21, 2000, one of a record six grand slams hit on that day.

See also


External links

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