Shawn's Story

   1995 Was Shawn's first full season in the Majors.  He was the Blue Jays opening day right fielder and played almost exclusively against right handed pitching.  Despite some rookie struggles in the first half, Shawn still put together a great rookie season and it looked like just a matter of time before he would become a star.

Unfortunately 1996 was a bit of a setback for Shawn.  He struggled in the first half again and was only facing right handed pitchers.  His name was constantly being mentioned in trade rumors and it seemed that the organization was giving up on him.  But Shawn put together a great second half and was determined to work hard in the off season and play every day in 1997.

Shawn arrived to Dunedin florida for spring training with some extra muscle and the determination to win the every day job in right field.  Unfortunately Orlando Merecd had been given the job.  That didn't stop Shawn Though.  he had an amazing spring and it looked like he would be the every day left fielder.  But Cito Gaston had other plans.  He continued to remove Shawn from the lineup against left handed pitchers and soon Ruben Sierra was acquired to take Shawn's job.  He was once again being mentioned in trade rumors and once again it looked like the team had given up on him.  I was starting to wish that the Jays would trade him just so that he could go somewhere he was wanted, and have the chance to play everyday.  This had to hurt, but Shawn sat on the bench and didn't say anything negative.  Finally Ruben Sierra was released and Cito reluctantly let Shawn play.  His first game back he hit 2 homers vs Atlanta and continued his tear the rest of the season. In September Cito Gaston was fired and Shawn fittingly drove in the winning run on the season's final day.

1998 Was a fresh start for Shawn.  Tim Johnson was the new manager and one of the first issues he addressed upon his hiring was Shawn Green.  He said that Shawn would be his right fielder and that he would bat third.  Finally there was someone managing the team who believed in Shawn and was willing to give him a chance.  I was hoping that this would be the beginning of great things for Shawn.  He went through great struggles in spring training, hitting below .200 and started out slow the first week of the season.  But Shawn knew he'd still be in the lineup and he snapped out of his slump quickly.  Jose Canseco was a new addition to the Jays, and he was constantly pushing Shawn.  He told him that he could be a  30-30 player.  By the time the All Star break rolled around, Shawn had put together a decent first half.  It wasn't good enough to make the All Star team, but the way he was improving an All Star game might not be that far away.  In mid July, the Yankees arrived in Toronto for a key series and it was Shawn that was the hero in one of the games, hitting his first career grand slam- off a left hander.... but wait "Shawn can't hit lefties"  Well I guess whoever said that must have been wrong.  As the summer went on, Shawn continued to play well.  August went by and suddenly Jose Canseco's prediction of a 30- 30 season for Shawn might just be right.  Finally on September fourth, against the Red Sox Shawn hit his 30th home run and became the first Blue Jay ever to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases.  He received a standing ovation from the Skydome crowd and the big smile said it all.  After the game he once again showed how classy he is by saying nothing negative about the people in the organization who had tried to run him out of town.  Instead he concentrated on all the positives about the current season.  On the season's final day he homered to give him 100 rbi's and left the field once again to a standing ovation.
 

1999 Was going to be great, Shawn had come off his best year yet and was ready to put up big numbers again.  Tim Johnson was fired in Spring Training.  I'm sure this must have been tough for Shawn because it was Johnson who gave him the chance to play, but the team was struggling and it seemed that they just couldn't get through the off season scandal Johnson had apologized for.  So Jim Fregosi was brought in and Shawn continued to hit well.  This year he started hot and just kept on going.  Shawn was on pace for a career year and a lock for the All Star game, but then on May 28 he was hit by an Andy Pettite pitch and broke his wrist.  He tried to come back and play hurt but the pain was just too much.  So the Jays went into a tailspin while Shawn sat.  Finally the wrist healed and he was able to play again.  Shawn got his stroke back and went on another tear.  He ended up making the All Star game and got to participate in the home run derby too.  In his first All Star at bat he singled off Jose Lima.  The second half of the season was even better as Shawn had a 28 game hit streak, setting a new Blue Jay record.  Unfortunately the Jays missed the playoffs again.  Shawn had an MVP type season though, hitting .309 with 42 homers and 123 RBI's.  The question going into the off season was if the Jays could afford to keep both he and Delgado.

2000 Would be the start of a new era for Shawn Green.  Early in the off season, he decided that he would like to try and play closer to his family in California.  The Blue Jays knew this and for fear of losing him in a year's time and receiving nothing in return, they decided to try and trade him.  Being offered around as trade bait was nothing new to Shawn so it must have been a relief on November 8th when he was traded to the Dodgers.  He immediately signed a 6 year contract worth $84 million.  It was nice to see him finally get a long term deal so that he would not be traded again for a while.  Some people unfortunately looked at the value of the contract and thought Shawn was greedy.  Gord Ash compared his situation to Roger Clemens.  If that was true, then why is he constantly donating large sums of money to charities?  Anyone who has followed Shawn's career will know that he is anything but greedy and it was nice to finally see him go to a team where he was wanted.

Shawn's first spring training as a Dodger was an adjustment.  He had to get to know new team mates and the hardest part had to be the last 2 games at Skydome before the regular season.  It was nice to be able to see Shawn back in Toronto one last time, but some people booed him and that must have hurt.  He gave so much to the city of Toronto, yet some people still felt the need to be negative.  These games would also be an opportunity for Shawn to say good bye to his friends he had made during his 5 years with the team and it seemed to take it's toll on him.  After the games were over the regular season started and Shawn got off to a great start.  He was hitting well over .300 and was playing great.  Around the middle of the season though, Shawn started to struggle and his struggles continued throughout the season.  He still ended up with good numbers, but the Dodgers missed the playoffs and Shawn's stats were low by his standards.  The Dodgers will open the 2001 season with a new manager and a clean slate.  I'm sure Shawn will be fully adjusted to the National League and have a great season.  Good Luck Shawn in 2001.

As Shawn arrived to Spring Training in 2001, he was confident that he could rebound from an off year in 2000.  He had worked hard during the off season and was in great shape.  Plus he was now familiar with the National League.  Teammate Gary Sheffield had asked to be traded and in doing so criticized several of the Dodger players including Shawn.  This was purely a case of Sheffield wanting more money and Shawn handled the situation with class as always.  Sheffield later apologized to his teammates and started the season in left field with the Dodgers.  In his first at bat of the spring Shawn singled and tried to advance to second.  While sliding he sprained his thumb and missed most of Spring Training.  When he returned, he continued to hit well and looked like he was ready for the start of the season.  As the season started, Shawn appeared to be on the right track.  He wasn't tearing the cover off the ball, but he wasn't having his early struggles like we saw in his early Toronto days.  However once the season got going he started to struggle.  His average was dropping below .270 again and he just didn't seem to be showing the ability he displayed in his last 2 years with the Blue Jays.  Once again many of the critics were pointing out Shawn's big contract and less than great numbers.  He would have a good game here and there and it looked like he was zoned in again, but then he would go into another slump.  As May ended Shawn found himself on another hot streak except this time he would stay that way.  He started hitting home runs once again and the average was climbing back up.  Gary Sheffield was hurt and it was Shawn along with rookie Paul LoDuca who carried the team.  Finally he was starting to get the recognition he deserved.  As the month of June arrived there were rumors that Shawn was going to be moved to first base.  Eric Karros was plagued by injuries and manager Jim Tracy wanted to get Shawn in there at first.  I was not thrilled with this idea as I think his strong throwing arm would be used better in the outfield, but the move happened and Shawn started at first in a game against the Giants.  He played the game without an error and looked fairly comfortable.  It was the only game he would play there though.  The next night he was back in right field.  As the All Star break approached, Shawn continued to build on his offensive numbers. Unfortunately he did not make the All Star team, but the three days off didn't seem to hurt him.  In fact he may have gotten better after that.  As the second half started, he was flying high.  He was the Major League Iron man having played over 300 consecutive games, he continued to hit home runs and was nearing his 1000th career hit.  What caused the big turnaround from last year though?  Was it a new manager, maybe less pressure to live up to his contract? or the fact that he was now engaged to his longtime girlfriend Lindsay.  Whatever the reason it was clear that Shawn was once again silencing his critics.  The Dodgers were even in first place for a few days.  As August arrived, the Dodgers were starting to struggle but Shawn was still red hot.  He had collected his 1000th hit, had a three homer game, hit another grand slam and the average was up to .290  By August 20th Shawn already had 100 RBI's (the most ever by a left handed hitting Dodger) and 37 home runs.  He was on pace to shatter most Dodger single season batting records.  Now the only question was, could the Dodgers fight off San Francisco and Arizona to make the playoffs?  After putting up a fight much of the season, the Dodgers finally ran out of gas.  They were eliminated from post season contention with a few games left.  Shawn would have a strong finish to the year but fell one homer short of 50.  He set career highs in homers and rbi's though and should get some MVP consideration.  The off season should be an exciting one for Shawn as he is getting married to Lindsay Bear.  Congratulations Shawn and Lindsay, I hope your life together is filled with happiness.

Coming off a career year and an off season wedding Shawn had high hopes heading into the 2002 baseball season.  It was no secret Green and Gary Sheffield were not best friends, and with Sheffield's negative attitude out of the clubhouse, many people were saying this was Shawn Green's team and wondered what he could do as the team leader.  As spring training started, Shawn was battling a nagging shoulder injury and was seeing very little action in right field.  He struggled terribly at the plate and you have to wonder if the shoulder was worse than he was letting on.  Nevertheless, he made it through spring training and managed to start the season and avoid a trip to the disabled list.  The way the season started though, he may have been wishing he were on the DL.  Green had a rough time at the plate and this was probably his worst start to the season since his early Blue Jays days.  It got so bad, the Dodger fans started booing him when he came to the plate.  You could tell it was wearing on him and he was benched for a game which could have only decreased his confidence more.  It got to the point where fans must have been wondering just how much worse it could get.  Then the team went on a road trip and everything changed.  Shawn returned to Milwaukee where he had hit his first homer back in 1995 with the Jays.  This day would be one for the ages.  He managed to hit a ML record 4 homers, had six hits in total and set a Major league record with 19 total bases.  He busted out of his slump in grand fashion and kept on going from there.  His dramatic improvement earned him NL player of the week honors and earned his bat a trip to the Hall of Fame where it will be on display for the rest of this season.  As the season continued, Shawn continued to hit well at the plate.  He was blasting home runs out of the park at a record pace and as July approached Shawn was named to the National League All Star team.  It was Shawn's first All Star game as a Dodger, and he was also selected to participate in the home run derby.  An injury forced Shawn to miss the derby, but he still saw action in the game and played well.  Once the second half of the season started, Shawn continued to play well and it looked like he may just lead the Dodgers into the playoffs.  As the season wound down, the Dodgers started to struggle and the Giants got hot so the Dodgers missed the playoffs yet again.  Shawn had another fine season personally though and should carry that success into 2003. 

As the 2003 season started, there was lots of optimism in Dodgerland.  The team had a decent 2002 and this was supposed to be the season that the team made it back into the playoffs.  Shawn was coming off another 40 plus homer season, and there was no reason to believe he couldn't do that once again.  There was even talk that maybe he could reach 50.  With numbers like that you'd think the playoffs would be a certainty.  But just as there are surprise teams each  year, there are also teams who underachieve.  Shawn got off to a bit of a slow start when spring training began and he was experiencing some stiffness in his shoulder.  He was confident that it was just stiff from the winter and insisted he'd be ready for opening day.  Green held true to his word and started the season as scheduled.  He got off to a decent start, although the power numbers seemed to be down.  As the team got deeper into the season their games were ending 2-1, 1-0, 3-2 etc.  It became apparent that the offense was struggling and Green was no exception.  He hovered around .250 for parts of the season and his power numbers were way down.  The season ended with the Dodgers missing the playoffs and Shawn's run production had drastically decreased from the previous two years.  Finally Shawn admitted that he had been playing the season with a sore shoulder and would need surgery.  He had been in so much pain that his swing was affected causing his power numbers to drop.  

Spring training 2004 began with some uncertainty for Shawn.  He was recovering from off season surgery on his non throwing shoulder and everyone wondered if he could get his swing from 2002 back when he belted over 40 homers.  In addition to that, the Dodgers announced that Shawn would be playing first base in the spring to prepare for the season where he would likely be spending most of his time.  It seemed unfortunate that his strong arm and speed would be put to waste at first but Shawn agreed to the move without complaining and said he would do whatever was asked of him.  He worked hard each day and seemed to be adjusting well.  Midway through the spring manager Jim Tracy announced that Shawn Green's first base experiment was over and he would be the team's right fielder on opening day.  So Shawn gladly returned to his comfortable right field position and tried to get his old swing back.  He said the shoulder was still a bit sore but felt he'd be ready for the start of the season.  Only time will tell if he will regain his power stroke from two years ago.  As opening day arrived, Shawn's career took another turn.  Milton Bradley had been acquired which would mean that Shawn would start the season at first base after all.  He homered on opening day and played well defensively.  As the season got going though, Shawn started to struggle at the plate.  His power numbers were down and his average was dipping close to the .200 mark.   He was  playing well defensively at first base  but some wondered if the  position change was causing the lack of production at the plate.  As the summer went on, the dodgers continued to play well and Shawn was slowly finding  his swing once again.  The team made some big trades in July at the trade deadline and Shawn started to see more action in right field once again.  Finally, on the second last day of the season the Dodgers came from behind and beat the Giants to clinch the National League Western Division title.  Overall, Shawn's final numbers for 2004 were not spectacular but he did have some big hits throughout the season and there was a lot of excitement in Dodgerland as the team prepared for the playoffs.  Shawn will see his first playoff action against the Cardinals in the Division series.  The first playoff action in Shawn's career didn't appear to be too nerve wracking for him.  He homered in St.Louis and then with the Dodgers facing elimination in game 3 he homered twice.  Unfortunately the powerful Cardinals lineup was too much for the Dodgers and they won the series.  2005 Will be a big season for Shawn.  He enters the last year of his contract.  Will he be traded or will he stay with the Dodgers and have a career year? 

After a winter of much speculation and failed trade attempts Shawn waived his no trade clause and agreed to go to the Arizona Diamondbacks.  It became clear he wasn't in the Dodgers plans any longer so he did what he had to do.  Now he can spend the last few weeks of the winter preparing for a fresh start with a new team.

The 2005 season was a fresh start with a new team.  While Shawn put up decent numbers, he wasn't having the same success he had in Toronto and LA and once again he found his name in trade rumors as the season wound down.

2006 was another interesting year for Shawn.  He put up decent numbers through the first half but nothing spectacular.  As the summer went on, the Diamondbacks fell further out of the playoff race and  Shawn's name was once again being mentioned in  trade rumors.  Finally on August 22nd the rumors became a reality as Green was traded to the Mets for a minor league pitcher.  Hardly a blockbuster trade like the one that sent him to LA from the Blue Jays six years ago, but it was a chance to be re-united with his good friend Carlos Delgado and more importantly, a chance to go back to the playoffs.  As the season wound down the Mets found themselves in the playoffs and facing the LA Dodgers (Shawn's former team) in the division series.  Shawn had a great series and you could tell he was excited to try and beat the team that traded him just a couple of years ago.  Shawn caught the final out of the series and the celebrations began; the Mets were moving on to the NLCS.  Shawn continued to play well in the NLCS and the series went 7 games.  All the pitching injuries seemed to finally catch up with the Mets though, as the Cardinals snuck by them and headed to the World Series.

2007 Began with great promise for the Mets again.  They had a lot to build on from last year and for most of the season had a big lead atop the NL East.  For Shawn though, it was probably a frustrating season.  His power numbers continued to drop and as the dog days of summer arrived, he found himself on the bench against many left handed pitchers.  To make matters worse, the Mets blew a seven and a half game lead and missed the playoffs.  The Mets have an option on Shawn's contract for 2008, but with the great young outfielders they have who are ready to play everyday, it's not expected Shawn will be retained.  Hopefully he will catch on somewhere else though and put up some great numbers while helping a team win a World Series.

Shawn's Main Page

The photos on this page were taken by Char Westbrook.