Shawn David Green (born November 10, 1972 in Des
Plaines, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball
player.
Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time
major league All-Star. He drove in 100 runs four
times and scored 100 runs four times, hit 40 or more
home runs three times, led the league in doubles,
extra base hits, and total bases, won both a Gold
Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award, and set the
Dodgers single-season record in home runs. Green was
also in the top five in the league in home runs,
RBI, intentional walks, 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 in 2002. Green broke the record of 18 total
bases (4 home runs and double) set by Joe Adcock of
the Milwaukee Braves (vs. Brooklyn Dodgers) in 1954.
At the time of his retirement, he was one of only
four active players with at least 300 home runs,
1,000 runs and RBI, 400 doubles, a .280 batting
average, and 150 stolen bases. The others were Barry
Bonds, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Gary Sheffield, each of
whom was at least two years older than Green, with
at least 1,400 more at bats.
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, for example, in
1998.
Green was one of the best-known Jewish-American
major league ballplayers, and the most prominent one
with the New York Mets since Art Shamsky played
right field for the 1969 World Champion Mets. Of
Jewish major leaguers, only Hank Greenberg, with 331
home runs and 1,276 RBI, has more major league home
runs and RBIs than Green, and only Buddy Myer has
more hits. Green opted to miss games on Yom Kippur,
even when his team was in the middle of a playoff
race. Green was arguably the best Jewish baseball
player since Sandy Koufax, although his stats
(especially his home runs) declined in his last
years. Shawn Green retired on February 28, 2008.
