Shawn Green was in the batting tunnel working on his swing when Jason Magdor (of the Junior Jays) and I arrived in the dugout to do our afternoon interview.
For Shawn, to break through a tendency to be a streak hitter. He always wanted to play baseball even though he was proficient in Soccer and basketball at the high school level. Ironically , Shawn played in the world-class Robbie soccer tournament in Scarborough Ontario when he was very young.
Shawn was a fan of Rod Carew and Don Mattingly, and preferred player as opposed to teams. He feels he’s always working to “refine his swing” but to get away from it all he prefers “nice diners, movies, or just enjoying the outdoors.”
The fifth year Blue Jays player credits Bill Buckner and Larry Hisle for helping him along to major league stardom. It looks like 1998 may be the year Shawn breaks through to have a solid first half, and if tradition continues, a great finish for a solid season!
GREEN NOTES:
Shawn likes Movies that are funny or emphasize good solid
characters. He lists Austin Powers, Forrest Gump and Shawnshank
Redemption as among his favorites.
Away from the dome he likes to play in Cleveland and Baltimore because of the crowd excitement level. Shawn also appreciates the tradition of Yankees Stadium and Fenway Park.
He lists his parents as large influences in his life, and that’s nice to hear these day.