View source for Shawn Green

{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1972)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{About|the baseball outfielder|the baseball pitcher with a similar name|Sean Green (baseball)}}
{{Other people|Shawn Green}}
{{Infobox baseball biography|
|name=Shawn Green
|image=Shawn Green.jpg
|caption=Green with the New York Mets in 2007
|position=[[Right fielder]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1972|11|10}}
|birth_place=[[Des Plaines, Illinois]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 28
|debutyear=1993
|debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 30
|finalyear=2007
|finalteam=New York Mets
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.283
|stat2label=[[Hits (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=2,003
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=328
|stat4label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=1,070
|teams=
* [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{mlby|1993}}–{{mlby|1999}})
* [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{mlby|2000}}–{{mlby|2004}})
* [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] ({{mlby|2005}}–{{mlby|2006}})
* [[New York Mets]] ({{mlby|2006}}–{{mlby|2007}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1999]], [[2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2002]])
* [[Gold Glove Award]] (1999)
* [[Silver Slugger Award]] (1999)
* Hit [[Batters with 4 home runs in one game|4 home runs in one game]] on May 23, 2002
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's [[baseball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[18U Baseball World Cup|World Junior Baseball Championship]]}}
{{MedalBronze | {{baseball year|1990}} [[Cuba]] | [[United States national under-18 baseball team|Team]]}}
}}
'''Shawn David Green''' (born November 10, 1972) is an American former professional [[baseball]] [[right fielder]] who played for multiple teams in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB). Green was a first-round [[draft (sports)|draft]] pick and a two-time major league [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]]. He [[Run batted in|drove in]] 100 [[Run (baseball)|runs]] four times and scored 100 runs four times, hit 40 or more [[home run]]s three times, led the league in [[Double (baseball)|doubles]], [[Extra-base hit|extra base hits]], and [[total bases]], won both a [[Gold Glove Award]] and a [[Silver Slugger Award]], and set the Dodgers then single-season record in home runs. Green also set the MLB record for most total bases in a single game, with 19, on May 23, [[2002 Major League Baseball season|2002]] vs. the [[Milwaukee Brewers]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Most Total Bases In A Regular-season Game By A Player In MLB History |url=https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/mRcn7VC2w |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240902000001/https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/mRcn7VC2w |archive-date=September 2, 2024 |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=[[StatMuse]] |language=en}}</ref> Green was in the top five in the league in home runs, RBIs, [[Intentional base on balls|intentional walk]]s, and [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] voting multiple times throughout his career.

Besides having the most total bases in a game, Green holds or is tied for the following major league records: [[List of Major League Baseball single-game home run leaders|most home runs in a game]] (four), most extra base hits in a game (five),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most Extra Base Hits In A Regular-season Game By A Player In MLB History |url=https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/0KfkV7ezb |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240902002349/https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/0KfkV7ezb |archive-date=September 2, 2024 |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=[[StatMuse]] |language=en}}</ref> most runs scored in a game (six),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most Runs Scored In A Game By A Player In MLB History |url=https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/qu1HFFOMT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240902002653/https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/qu1HFFOMT |archive-date=September 2, 2024 |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=[[StatMuse]] |language=en}}</ref> most home runs in two consecutive games (five), most home runs in three consecutive games (seven), and most consecutive [[At bat|at bats]] in a game with a home run (four). Green broke the record of 18 total bases (four home runs and one double) set by [[Joe Adcock]] of the [[Milwaukee Braves]] (vs. [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]) in [[1954 Major League Baseball season|1954]]. [[Athletics (baseball)|Athletics]] rookie [[Nick Kurtz]] matched Green’s 19 total bases (also four home runs, one double, and a single) against the [[Houston Astros]] on July 25, [[2025 Major League Baseball season|2025]].

At the time of his retirement, he was one of only fourteen players with at least 300 home runs, 1,000 runs and RBIs, 400 doubles, a .280 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], and 150 stolen bases; among the players in that club included [[Barry Bonds]] and [[George Brett]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stathead.com/tiny/j2Y34|title=For combined seasons, up to 2007, in the regular season, requiring Runs Batted In >= 1000 and Stolen Bases >= 150 and Batting Average >= .280 and Home Runs >= 300 and Runs >= 1000 and Doubles >= 400, sorted by descending Home Runs.|website=Stathead}}</ref> 

==Early and personal life==
Green was born in [[Des Plaines, Illinois]] and is Jewish. His family moved to New Jersey when he was one year old, then to [[San Jose, California]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schaefer |first=Rob |date=September 2, 2024 |orig-date=September 2, 2024 |title=Shawn Green left his mark in MLB and now thrives in his second act at Greenfly |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/09/02/short-form-content |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905154011/https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/09/02/short-form-content |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=www.sportsbusinessjournal.com |language=en}}</ref> and finally to [[Tustin, California]] when he was 12 years old.<ref name=JSR>{{cite journal |title=Big League Jews|journal=[[Jewish Sports Review]] |date=January–February 2020 |volume=12 |issue=137 |page=18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Keisser |first=Bob |date=2015-02-19 |title=Which Tustin baseball players made it in the pros? |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2015/02/19/which-tustin-baseball-players-made-it-in-the-pros/ |access-date=2019-09-03 |website=Orange County Register |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/magazine/archives/news/story?page=magazine-19990614-article43|title=Bat Mitzvah|date=10 July 2012|website=ESPN.com|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/greensh01.shtml|title=Shawn Green Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More|website=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated2>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1999/08/06/an-heir-apparent-worthy-of-hank-greenberg/0764978b-a51f-47e0-a84a-3c602194dbcf/ An Heir Apparent Worthy of Hank Greenberg <!-- Bot generated title -->]
''The Washington Post'' August 6, 1999 </ref> His father, Ira, played forward in basketball at [[DePaul University]] for the [[DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball|Blue Demons]] during the 1960s, graduating in 1966, and his mother is the former Judy
Schneider.<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith |first=Gary |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1999/12/13/271219/promised-land-back-home-and-richer-by-84-million-shawn-green-is-immersing-himself-in-two-traditions-dodgers-baseball-and-judaism |title=Promised Land Back home and richer by $84 million, Shawn Green is immersing himself in two traditions: Dodgers baseball and Judaism &#124; Vault |publisher=Si.com |date=1999-12-13 |access-date=2020-02-02}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated2 />

Green was one of the best-known [[Jew]]ish major league ballplayers,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101108200910/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jeff_pearlman/06/12/kinsler-jews/?eref=sircrc "Ian Kinsler helping Jewish fans conquer Shawn Green withdrawal"], ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', June 12, 2009, June 12, 2009</ref> and the most prominent one with the [[New York Mets]] since [[Art Shamsky]] played right field for the [[1969 World Series]] champion Mets.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/23/sports/baseball/23green.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1156374055-Wydt5osmfDl+4EN1Jgt+uA&oref=slogin "Mets Bolster Outfield With a Trade for Green"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 2006-08-23, accessed 2007-11-04</ref> Of Jewish major leaguers, only [[Hank Greenberg]], with 331 home runs and 1,276 RBIs, has more major league home runs and RBIs than Green.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jewishmajorleaguers.org/crrldrs/crrldrs.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711003607/http://jewishmajorleaguers.org/crrldrs/crrldrs.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 11, 2012 |title=Jewish Major League Career Leaders |access-date=June 9, 2007 |publisher=Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc }}</ref><ref>[http://www.jstandard.com/articles/3454/1/With-the-glove-and-the-bat-Jews-sparkled-on-the-diamond "With the glove and the bat, Jews sparkled on the diamond", ''New Jersey Jewish Standard'', 2007-11-16, accessed 2007-11-17]</ref>

Green opted to miss games on [[Yom Kippur]], even when his team was in the middle of a playoff race.<ref name=yomkippur>{{cite web |last1=Merron |first1=Jeff |title=Green, Koufax and Greenberg -- same dilemma, different decisions |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/merron_on_green.html |website=[[ESPN Classic]] |access-date=May 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/0905/1248286.html|title=Dodgers' Green will not play vs. Giants on Yom Kippur|last=Schwarz |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Schwarz |access-date=March 6, 2009 |date=September 5, 2001 |publisher=[[ESPN]] Internet Ventures}}</ref>

While Green is often likened to Hank Greenberg, Green's grandfather in fact shortened the family name from Greenberg to Green, for "business reasons."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-_Si5OP6cjkC&dq=shawn+green+grandfather+greenberg+business+reasons&pg=PA89|title=Jews and the Sporting Life: Studies in Contemporary Jewry XXIII|first=Ezra|last=Mendelsohn|date=31 March 2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-972479-6 |accessdate=5 February 2024|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated2 /> Green was arguably the best Jewish baseball player since [[Sandy Koufax]], although his stats (especially his home runs) declined in his last years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/26/nyregion/26green.html|title=A Power Hitter. And a Source of Jewish Pride.|first1=Andy|last1=Newman|first2=Michael S.|last2=Schmidt|work=The New York Times |date=26 August 2006|accessdate=5 February 2024|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> Green retired on February 28, 2008.

Green has a residence in the [[Orange County, California]] city of [[Irvine, California|Irvine]], which neighbors his old Tustin hometown.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lansner.freedomblogging.com/2007/12/06/shady-canyons-last-lot-is-sold/ |author=Lansner, Jon |title=Shady Canyon's last lot goes for $1.9 million |date=December 6, 2007 |work=[[Orange County Register]] |access-date=February 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417233001/http://lansner.freedomblogging.com/2007/12/06/shady-canyons-last-lot-is-sold/ |archive-date=April 17, 2009 }}</ref> In 2002, he married Lindsay Bear in a mixed Jewish and Christian ceremony.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mP0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55 Orange Coast Magazine: "The Dodger and the Damsel"] February 2002</ref> The couple have two daughters.<ref>His father Ira owns The Baseball Academy, where local youths learn various baseball skils including dynamics of Green's swing.{{cite news|url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=115094|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050314020046/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=115094|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 14, 2005|publisher=New York Mets|title=Biography}}</ref>

==High school==
He attended [[Tustin High School]] in [[Tustin, California]], where he tied the [[California Interscholastic Federation]] record with 147 hits during his high school career. He was a 1st team selection to the 1991 ''[[USA Today]]'' All-USA high school team,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=115094, |title="Player File", Mets website, accessed 2007-11-04 |access-date=2007-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206125626/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=115094, |archive-date=2007-12-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while ranking 3rd in his class academically.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/articles/item/shawn_green_following_in_koufaxs_footsteps_19991231/|title=Levin, Jason, "Shawn Green—Following in Koufax's Footsteps—As the Dodgers' new player settles in, the Los Angeles Jewish community takes note", 12/30/99, accessed 7/21/09|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref>

==College and the baseball draft==
In {{Baseball year|1991}}, Green won a baseball scholarship to [[Stanford University]], where he became a brother of the [[Delta Tau Delta]] International Fraternity.

Green was drafted by the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] as their 1st round pick (16th overall) in the 1991 amateur [[draft (sports)|draft]]. The Blue Jays drafted him using a compensation pick from the [[San Francisco Giants]], to whom they had lost [[Bud Black]] via free agency.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Green 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 ($725,000; (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|725000|1991|r=-3}}}} today)), a portion of which he donated to the [[Toronto Community Housing Corporation|Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority]] Breakfast Club (which provides breakfast for kids who would otherwise go to school hungry).<ref>[http://www.ocmetro.com/archives/ocmetro_2001/metro110101/hot25/green.html "Shawn Green, 28; Professional baseball player with the Los Angeles Dodgers", ''OC Metro Business'', 2001, accessed 2007-11-04]</ref>

==Minor league career==
In {{Baseball year|1992}}, Green played for the [[Dunedin Blue Jays]] of the [[Florida State League]], and was selected to the league's all-star team.

Green spent most of {{Baseball year|1993}} and {{Baseball year|1994}} in the minors, where he compiled impressive numbers. In 1994, he hit .344—winning the [[International League]] batting title—while ranking third in runs, hits, and [[on-base percentage]] and hitting thirteen home runs with 61 RBIs for Toronto's [[Triple-A (baseball)|AAA]] affiliate, the [[Syracuse Chiefs]]. He was an International League all-star, was voted the [[International League Rookie of the Year Award|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]]'''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–{{Baseball year|1995}} [[Venezuelan Winter League]].

==Major league career==

===Toronto Blue Jays (1993–1999)===
Green made his Major League debut on September 28 as the second-youngest player in the Major Leagues.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Though he did not play in the [[1993 World Series]], he was awarded a [[World Series ring]]. He appeared in just seventeen games in [[1993 in baseball|1993]] and [[1994 in baseball|1994]].<ref name=autogenerated1 />

In 1995, his full rookie season, Green started in 97 games, hitting fifteen home runs and batting .288.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Green set Blue Jays rookie records in doubles (31), hit streak (14), extra base hits (50), and [[slugging percentage]] (.509). He came in fifth in voting for the [[American League]] [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]].<ref name=autogenerated1 />

His {{Baseball year|1996}} and {{Baseball year|1997}} seasons were similar, in that Green was given limited at bats, wasn't trusted to hit left-handed [[Pitcher|pitching]], and produced only sporadically. Green was, however, more aggressive on the base paths in 1997 than in any previous year, stealing fourteen bases while being caught only three times.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

In 1998, Green was granted an everyday spot in the line-up and he delivered by becoming the first Blue Jay to become a member of the [[30–30 club]], in which he hit over 30 home runs and stole 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]], [[Barry Bonds]], and [[Alex Rodriguez]]. Green had never hit more than eighteen home runs in a season (major or minor leagues).<ref name=autogenerated1 /> He finished the season batting .278 with 35 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 35 stolen bases (a career best).<ref name=autogenerated1 />

In {{Baseball year|1999}}, Green proved his new-found power was no fluke. On April 22, he hit a {{convert|449|ft|m|adj=on}} home run into [[SkyDome]]'s fifth deck, putting him in prestigious company with [[José Canseco]], [[Mark McGwire]], and [[Joe Carter]]. By the [[All-Star]] 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]] at [[Fenway Park]]. 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).<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Green also led the league in doubles (45), extra-base hits (87), and total bases (361).<ref name=autogenerated1 /> 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 ninth in the voting for MVP.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

In the off-season, Green expressed a desire to sign as a [[free agent]] with a team closer to his California roots after the {{Baseball year|2000}} season. The Blue Jays, facing the rising contract demands of Green and slugger teammate [[Carlos Delgado]], 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 to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] for [[Pedro Borbón Jr.]] and [[Raúl Mondesí]].<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Green quickly signed an extension with Los Angeles, agreeing to an $84 million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|84000000|2000|r=-6}}}} today)/6-year deal that included a $4 million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|4000000|2000|r=-3}}}} today) signing bonus.

===Los Angeles Dodgers (2000–2004)===
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 fifth in the league in doubles with 44 (the second-highest total in Dodgers history), while driving in 99 runs.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> He also had one of the longest consecutive games on-base streaks in baseball history, at 53; five behind [[Duke Snider]]'s modern day [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) record. He hit home runs in five straight games; the only other Dodgers to achieve this feat are [[Roy Campanella]] (1950), [[Matt Kemp]] (2010), [[Adrián González]] (2014–15), [[Joc Pederson]] (2015) and [[Shohei Ohtani]] (2025).<ref name="ocregister.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/dodgers/denver-664320-dodgers-final.html|title=Joc Pederson homers again but Dodgers blow lead in ninth|work=The Orange County Register|date=3 June 2015}}</ref>  He hit .329 in late innings of close games.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Green had a career year in {{Baseball year|2001}}, 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.<ref name=autogenerated1 />  His 49 home runs set a Dodgers single-season record (a record which stood until [[Shohei Ohtani]] hit his 50th home run of the season on September 19, 2024), but only tied for fourth in the league, behind Barry Bonds, [[Sammy Sosa]], and [[Luis Gonzalez (outfielder, born 1967)|Luis González]].<ref name=autogenerated1 />  For the fourth straight year he stole 20 or more bases, and batted .331 with runners in scoring position.<ref name=autogenerated1 />  Green came in sixth in voting for league MVP.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
{{Quote box |width=28em | bgcolor= |align=right  |quote="I felt like it was the right thing to do ... I didn't do this to gain approval. I thought it was the right example to set for Jewish kids, a lot of whom don't like to go to [[synagogue]]."|source= — Green, explaining why he sat out a game for the first time in 415 games}}

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]].<ref>[http://www.5tjt.com/news/read.asp?Id=4256  5 Towns Jewish Time] {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He also made a second notable decision on September 26, donating his day's pay of $75,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|75000|2001|r=-3}}}} in 2025) to a charity for survivors of the New York [[9/11]] terrorist attacks.

Green started off slowly in {{Baseball year|2002}}, 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 four home runs and a record-tying five extra-base hits (he hit a double in addition to the home runs) against the Milwaukee Brewers, and had 19 total bases, breaking [[Joe Adcock]]'s 1954 Major League record by one, while matching the major league record of six runs scored in one game. This record has since been matched by [[Nick Kurtz]] in 2025. No other major league player had six hits, five runs, and as many as four extra-base hits in a game again until [[Ian Kinsler]] of the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] in 2009.<ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D97JPP902.html Dallas News] {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> 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 three-game record (seven). 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 [[On-base percentage]] (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.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> He hit .333 with runners in [[scoring position]] and two out.<ref name=autogenerated1 />  Green came in 5th in voting for league MVP.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

In {{Baseball year|2003}}, 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.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Still, he was 2nd in the league in doubles (with 49; a career best).<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Green's power improved in {{Baseball year|2004}}, as he hit 28 home runs and collected 86 RBIs, while batting .266, leading the Dodgers to the 2004 [[playoffs]].<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Green moved to [[first base]] for much of the season. He hit three home runs in the post-season, in just 16 at bats.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Green was traded to the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] on January 11, 2005.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> He waived his no-trade clause for a three-year extension from the team for $32 million<!--three-year extension at $32M? needs clarification-->. The trade was part of a three-team trade which sent Green and cash to the Diamondbacks, in exchange for catcher [[Dioner Navarro]] 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 six years, and hit fewer home runs (22) and scored fewer runs (87) than he had in all but seven of his prior seasons.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Green came to bat 398 times with the Diamondbacks before being traded in {{Baseball year|2006}}, and while his batting average and on-base percentage were near his career averages, his slugging percentage (.425) was the lowest it had been since he broke into the Majors.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

On August 22, 2006, Green was dealt, along with $6.5 million in cash, by the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] to the New York Mets for [[minor league baseball|Triple-A]] 23-year-old left-handed pitcher, Evan MacLane.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

===New York Mets (2006–07)===

====2006====
Green's second at bat as a Met was an [[Run batted in|RBI]] single off Cardinals' pitcher [[Jason Marquis]], another Jewish ball player.

Overall, in 2006 Green had his worst offensive year in a decade. He hit only fifteen home runs, with 66 RBI, four stolen bases, a .432 slugging percentage, and a .277 batting average.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Green's fifteen home runs matched his second-lowest total since becoming a full-time player.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> His 73 runs scored was also a significant drop-off from the 134 runs he scored in his outstanding 1999 season with Toronto.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> One bright point was that his .799 OPS against lefties was the tenth-best in the league for lefty batters. Curiously, while he had the ninth-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&nbsp;ft).<ref>[http://www.sportsblurb.com/baseball/game/2006/game37.asp Google Search] {{dead link|date=February 2020}}</ref> His {{convert|470|ft|m|adj=on}} 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fangraphs.com/players/shawn-green/651/stats?position=OF|title=Shawn Green - Stats - Batting &#124; FanGraphs Baseball|website=www.fangraphs.com|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref> He faded as the season progressed, dropping 65 points—and batting .240—after the All Star break.

After the season ended, Green was eighteenth of all active players in doubles (and younger than all those ahead of him), and in the top thirty 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 three doubles, and hit .313, second best on the team (as the Mets hit only .250).<ref name=autogenerated1 />

====2007====
On February 13, 2007, the Mets declined a $10 million mutual [[Option (baseball)|option]] on Green's contract, that would have kept him in New York through the {{Baseball year|2008}} season. He got a $2 million [[buyout]] instead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy|title=Fantasy Sports|website=NBC Sports|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref>  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...."<ref name="nyp13">[http://www.nypost.com/seven/02132007/sports/mets/green__im_not_retiring_mets_mark_hale.htm "Green: I'm Not Retiring"], ''[[New York Post]]'', 2007-02-13, accessed 2007-11-04 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216010016/http://www.nypost.com/seven/02132007/sports/mets/green__im_not_retiring_mets_mark_hale.htm |date=2007-02-16 }}</ref>

In the fifth inning of the May 25, 2007, game against the [[Florida Marlins]], Green suffered a chip fracture of the [[first metatarsal]] bone in his right foot when he fouled a ball off of it.<ref>[https://archive.today/20110524172115/http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Sports/2007/05/26/shawn_green_out_with_foot_injury/9735/ "Shawn Green out with foot injury", ''UPI'', 2007-05-26, accessed 2007-11-04]</ref> Green at the time of the injury was batting .314, tenth-best in the NL, and .341 against right-handers, with five home runs, 22 RBIs, twelve doubles, and four stolen bases. On May 29, Green was placed on the 15-day [[disabled list]]; his first time on the DL in his career.<ref>{{cite news|last1=DiComo|first1=Anthony|title=Broken foot lands Mets' Green on DL|url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070529&content_id=1992591&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|access-date=August 22, 2014|work=MLB.com|date=May 29, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115038/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070529&content_id=1992591&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|archive-date=August 26, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The bone was expected to fully heal in six 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–for–4 with a run batted in and a stolen base.<ref>[http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxNTA1NDQmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 "Mets' Green returns after injury"] {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, North Jersey Media Group, 2007-06-12, accessed 2007-11-04</ref>
On June 24, Green started at first base for the first time since 2006, when he was a member of the Diamondbacks.

===Retirement===
After the 2007 season, Green became a free agent.<ref>[http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071014/SPORTS01/710140389 "Castillo could be key to second base stability for Mets", ''Lower Hudson Online'', 2007-10-14, accessed 2007-11-04]</ref>  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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/02282008/sports/mets/former_met_enjoying_green_er_pastures_99562.htm|title=Former Met Enjoying Green-er Pastures|last=Hale|first=Mark|access-date=February 28, 2008|date=February 28, 2008|newspaper=New York Post}}</ref>

Among all-time Jewish major league baseball players—through 2010—he was second in career home runs and RBIs (behind [[Hank Greenberg]]), and tenth in batting average (behind [[Morrie Arnovich]]).<ref name=JML>{{cite web|title=Career Batting Leaders through 2010|url=http://www.jewishmajorleaguers.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030806191742/http://www.jewishmajorleaguers.org/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 6, 2003|work=Career Leaders|publisher=Jewish Major Leaguers|access-date=February 10, 2011}}</ref>

===Fielding===
In 1998, Green had fourteen assists and five [[double play]]s from the [[outfield]]. Most of Green's [[inning]]s in the field were in [[right field]], where he was awarded a Gold Glove Award in 1999.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> In 2005, he did not commit an error in the outfield.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Green also played over 100 games at first base (mostly in 2004 and 2006), and over fifty games each in [[Center fielder|center field]] and [[left field]].<ref name=autogenerated1 />

===Accomplishments===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Player of the Year (1994)
*Fifth in AL [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] voting (1995)
*Topps All-Star Rookie Team (1995)
*Member of the [[30–30 club]] (1998)
*All-Star (1999, 2002)
*AL Total Bases leader (1999)
*AL Doubles leader (1999)
*AL [[Gold Glove Award]] (1999)
*AL [[Silver Slugger Award]] (1999)
*Ninth in AL [[Most valuable player|MVP]] voting (1999)
*Toronto Blue Jays Player of the Year (1999)
*Held Dodgers record for most home runs in a season for 23 years, with 49 (2001)
*Sixth in NL [[Most valuable player|MVP]] voting (2001)
{{col-2}}
*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 [[Most valuable player|MVP]] voting (2002)
*20-Home Run Seasons: seven (1998–2002, 2004 & 2005)
*30-Home Run Seasons: four (1998, 1999, 2001 & 2002)
*40-Home Run Seasons: three (1999, 2001 & 2002)
*100 RBI Seasons: four (1998, 1999, 2001 & 2002)
*100 Runs Scored Seasons: four (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)
{{col-end}}

===Hall of Fame candidacy===
Green became eligible for the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2013|2013]]. 75% of the vote was necessary for induction, and 5% was necessary to stay on the ballot. Of the 37 total candidates,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://baseballhall.org/hall-famers/bbwaa-voting/year?year=2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130801085942/http://baseballhall.org/hall-famers/bbwaa-voting/year?year=2013|url-status=dead|title=2013 HoF election|archive-date=1 August 2013}}</ref> Green received 2 votes (0.4%) and was eliminated from future [[Baseball Writers' Association of America|BBWAA]] voting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_2013.shtml|title=2013 Hall of Fame Voting|website=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref>

==Team Israel==
Green played and coached for the [[Israeli national baseball team]] in the [[2013 World Baseball Classic – Qualifier 1|2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier]] in September 2012.<ref name="nj.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/mets/2013/03/mets_q-and-a_with_josh_satin.html|title=Mets' Q-and-A with utility player Josh Satin|first=Jorge |last=Castillo |work=The Star-Ledger|date=3 March 2013|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref> He was eligible to play for Israel because he is Jewish. Under the Classic's rules, non-Israeli citizens of Jewish heritage can play for the country.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/community/article/jewish_baseball_players_support_little_league_efforts_20110621/ |title=Jewish baseball player supports Little League efforts &#124; Community &#124; Jewish Journal |access-date=2011-08-04 |archive-date=2011-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628050833/http://www.jewishjournal.com/community/article/jewish_baseball_players_support_little_league_efforts_20110621/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/shawn-green-says-hed-play-for-israel/ | work=The New York Times | first=Ken | last=Belson | title=Shawn Green Says He'd Play for Israel | date=June 8, 2011}}</ref> Israel lost to Spain in extra innings in the Pool Finals, missing out on a spot in the tournament.<ref name="nj.com"/><ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121025&content_id=40043052&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou |author= Corey Brock |title=Padres prospect Freiman looks to raise his game; First baseman enjoys the competition in World Classic, Arizona Fall League|work=mlb.com |date= October 25, 2012|access-date=March 12, 2013}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated6">{{cite web|url=http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121206&content_id=40552520&vkey=pr_hou&c_id=hou|title=Astros select Fields, Freiman in Major League portion of Rule 5 Draft|work=mlb.com|access-date=March 12, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511203934/http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121206&content_id=40552520&vkey=pr_hou&c_id=hou|archive-date=May 11, 2013}}</ref> During the first game of the tournament Green was the designated hitter and batted fifth, going 2 for 5 with a run scored and a strike out.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2013/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_09_19_isrint_rsaint_1&mode=box |title=Israel 7, South Africa 3 |access-date=2017-02-08 |archive-date=2020-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027153852/http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2013/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_09_19_isrint_rsaint_1&mode=box |url-status=dead }}</ref> Green did not play in the second game.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2013/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_09_21_isrint_espint_1&mode=box |title=Israel 4, Spain 2 |access-date=2017-02-08 |archive-date=2020-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027153210/http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2013/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_09_21_isrint_espint_1&mode=box |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the third and final game, Green went 1-for-4 with a run batted in while leaving seven men on base.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2013/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_09_23_espint_isrint_1&mode=box |title=Spain 9, Israel 7 |access-date=2017-02-08 |archive-date=2020-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027160539/http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2013/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_09_23_espint_isrint_1&mode=box |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Non-baseball career==
[[File:Shawn Green at Camp Pendleton.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Green (right) at [[Camp Pendleton]] in 2011 to promote his book, ''The Way of Baseball'']]
Green made a [[cameo appearance]] on the series premiere of the hit show ''[[Numb3rs]]'' (2005), while he was an active Los Angeles Dodgers player, in the film ''[[The Core]]'' (2003) and on ''[[The Nick Cannon Show]]'' (2002).

He founded Greenfly in 2014, a software company developing technology for sports and entertainment organizations and used by the Los Angeles Dodgers.<ref name="h956">{{cite web | last=Shaikin | first=Bill | title=Former Dodgers star Shawn Green takes a swing as technology entrepreneur | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2016-11-25 | url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-entreprenurs-shawn-green-20161123-story.html | access-date=2025-01-25}}</ref>

In 2011, Green, with co-author Gordon McAlpine, published ''The Way of Baseball'', a memoir of his spiritual development through his baseball career.

==Charitable work==
Green assists several charities, including the [[Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation]], [[Special Olympics]], [[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]] of Greater Los Angeles to promote literacy.

In 2007, Green pledged to donate $180—or 10 times ''[[Chai (symbol)|chai]]''—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.<ref>[https://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/101141.html "Jewish Met goes to bat for charity"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070414070539/http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/101141.html |date=2007-04-14 }}, ''JTA'', 2007-04-12, accessed 2007-11-04</ref>

==Honors and awards==
*Honored at the Baseball Assistance Team's annual Going to Bat for BAT 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]] [[Hall of Fame]].
*Presented the Hank Greenberg Sportsmanship Award by the [[American Jewish Historical Society]] in 2004.
*Inducted into the [[Irvine, California|Orange County Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]] at the Merage Jewish Community Center in Irvine, California.
*Inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Northern California.
*Inducted into the [[Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]] (2001).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://scjewishsportshof.com/green.html|title=Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home<!-- Bot generated title -->|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref>
*Inducted into the [[National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]] (2005).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-marlins/marlins-blog/sfl-marlins-adam-greenberg-jewish-hall-of-fame-blog-20140816-story.html |title=National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum to induct one-day Miami Marlin Adam Greenberg - Sun Sentinel<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2018-03-31 |archive-date=2018-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401075807/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-marlins/marlins-blog/sfl-marlins-adam-greenberg-jewish-hall-of-fame-blog-20140816-story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Inducted into the [[International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]] (2014).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/Shawn-Green.htm|title=Shawn Green|website=www.jewishsports.net|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref>

==Miscellaneous==
*Green's walkup songs were "Be Yourself" by [[Audioslave]] and "Song 2" by [[Blur (band)|Blur]].
*Threw his batting gloves to children each time he hit a home run in his home ballpark.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/070402&sportCat=mlb|title=Uni Watch: Passover edition - ESPN Page 2|website=www.espn.com|accessdate=5 February 2024}}</ref>
*Has two bats in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]]: 1) the bat he used on May 23, 2002, to hit four 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/teams/NL/dodgers.htm |title=Los Angeles Dodgers |access-date=2006-12-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20020210203317/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/teams/NL/dodgers.htm |archive-date=2002-02-10 }}</ref>
*Shawn Green was also a playable character in ''[[Backyard Baseball]] 2001'', ''Backyard Baseball 2003'', and ''Backyard Baseball 2005'', representing the Dodgers.

==See also==
*[[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball home run records]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball single-game home run leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders]]
* [[List of Jewish Major League Baseball players]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=115094|espn=3021|br=g/greensh01|fangraphs=651|brm=green-001sha}}, or [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/G/Pgrees001.htm Retrosheet]
*{{IMDb name|1684693}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box|before = [[Ryan Klesko]], [[Raúl Mondesí]], [[Manny Ramírez]]|title = [[Topps All-Star Rookie Rosters|Topps Rookie All-Star Outfielder]]|years = 1995|after = [[Jermaine Dye]], [[Todd Hollandsworth]], [[F.P. Santangelo]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Mike Cameron]] | title = [[Batters with 4 home runs in one game]]| years = May 23, 2002 | after = [[Carlos Delgado]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{AL OF Silver Slugger Award}}
{{AL OF Gold Glove Award}}
{{4 HR game}}
{{30-30 club}}
{{1991 MLB Draft}}
{{Toronto Blue Jays first round draft choices}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Shawn}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
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[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
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[[Category:Gold Glove Award winners]]
[[Category:Jewish American baseball players]]
[[Category:Knoxville Smokies players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball right fielders]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
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[[Category:Baseball players from Cook County, Illinois]]
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[[Category:Silver Slugger Award winners]]
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[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
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