Shawn Green: Rising Star
By Jason Unger
1997: A promising young right fielder north of the border looks
for a job. He knows he has the ability, the talent. Unfortunately
for him, his manager does not see it that way. This is what Shawn
Green, the All-Star right fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays was
experiencing. His manager, Cito Gaston, didn't see the potential
in him. Maybe if Cito did, he'd still have his job....
1998: The new manager of the Jays, Tim Johnson, announces that
Green will play everyday in right field and bat third for his
team. This came as a shocker to Shawn, as he had never been
secured a spot of his own. But Green didn't let his manager down,
in fact, he made it look like one of the smartest decisions in a
long time.
Most people wouldn't expect Shawn Green
to be the person he really is; with his dyed blonde hair, his web
site, his love of Pearl Jam, he's one of the up and coming
talents in the Major Leagues. But, behind all that is a Jewish
boy from Illinois. A Jewish boy you ask? Believe it or not.
Following in the steps of Hall of Famers like Hank Greenberg and
Sandy Koufax, Green looks to balance his religion and his game
successfully- and it looks like he has been able to.
In 1998, Green became the first Blue Jay ever to join the 30-30
club (30 homeruns and 30 stolen bases). He accumulated 35 of
each, driving in 100 runs and hitting .279. Nice numbers, sure,
but he ain't done yet. This year, he has already surpassed his
homerun and RBI totals of last year, while hitting over .315. He
has quickly become an MVP candidate in only his 2nd year playing
everyday- and he's only 26 years old!
\plain\f16 \par \plain\f8 Growing up, Shawn's favorite player was
Rickey Henderson. "Wherever Rickey was, that's where my
camera was pointed." Shawn added, "I remember going
back to Oakland for the first time [as a pro]. I was playing
right field and Rickey was hitting, and I remember getting a
chill. He was in his distinct stance, that crouch, and I'm
thinking, 'I should be in the stands watching this."
Earlier this year, Green accumulated a 28 game hitting streak,
the longest in the AL this season. "It was a lot of
fun," said Shawn. "It was good for the fans. I had a
great time with it. I was hoping it would go on for a little
while." But Shawn doesn't care about personal accolades-
when asked about his MVP chances, he responded "
" I don't even think about it. I'd rather see us in the
post-season, and if we get there, those other things will take
care of themselves.''