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Goodbye, Green.
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Shawn Green has called it quits after fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball. The 35-year-old will retire to his home in California, where he will have an opportunity to watch his children grow up. After putting a smile on my face for years, it will be difficult to see my favorite player go.
Green made his debut in 1993, which was a year after I was born. When I started following baseball around 2001, the Los Angeles Dodger was the greatest outfielder in the game. I instantly fell in love with his swing, and became a lifetime fan of the California organization.
The two-time All-Star began his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. While establishing himself as a stellar hitter with solid speed, he became close friends with Carlos Delgado. This friendship would later influence his decision to reunite with his former teammate in New York.
After hitting for a .309 batting average with 42 home-runs and 123 RBIs in 1999, the Blue Jays decided to trade him to Los Angeles for religious reasons. Green then signed a 7 year, $84 million deal with the Dodgers, which was the second-highest deal in history at the time.
In 2001, Shawn Green blasted 49 home-runs and 125 RBIs. During that miraculous season, I proudly wore a Shawn Green T-Shirt with a smile across my face. If Barry Bonds had not hit 73 home-runs during that same season, I was confident that my favorite slugger would win the sacred MVP Award.
In 2002, the right-fielder made one of the greatest performances in Major League Baseball’s extensive history. Against Milwaukee, Green went six for six with four home-runs and seven RBIs in one game! Mike Cameron, a former-Met, who also hit four home-runs in one-game declared that May 24th, 2002 (the day of Green’s accomplishment) should be known as “Shawn Green Day.”
After the 2002 Regular Season, Green underwent surgery on his shoulder. This greatly affected his power, as his swing’s speed declined and he began to struggle hitting the ball as powerfully as he did before. His statistics started to decline to about 25 home-runs and 80 RBIs a year, a substantial drop that aggravated many Dodgers’ fans. However, I still loved him.
I remember seeing a snapshot of Shawn Green striking out. His eyes were closed as he whipped around the bat as fast as he could. I could almost feel the frustration evident in his angered face, as baseball fans started to turn their backs against him because his surgery limited his offensive performance.
After the losing the respect of many Dodgers’ fans, the hitter was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The day that he was traded, I recall watching an online press conference in which he graced a snazzy Arizona jersey for the first-time in his career. I prayed that his career would be rejuvenated after leaving my favorite Dodgers.
While traveling to Arizona with a teen-tour, I purchased a sentimental Shawn Green jersey. I regret purchasing the jersey at an astronomical price of $200, but I felt that this was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and I certainly didn’t want to pass it up. Now when I look back at this investment, it happens to be the worst one that I have ever made thus far.
Months later, Shawn Green was traded my local New York Mets. I was pleased to see that he finally stopped in New York, but I realized that he wouldn’t last long under the New York spotlight. With his declining statistics, I figured that the harsh New York media would chew him to pieces in seconds.
Shawn Green never became an offensive force for the New York Mets. Instead, he became known as “that average old guy in the outfield.” His production in the Big Apple wasn’t anything to write home about, but I cherished every single that he hit.
I will never forget his first Mets’ interview, where he stated that he would rather win a World Series ring than an MVP Award. This statement proved that he was not be focused on improving merely his individual statistics, but that he wanted to be an integral part of the Mets’ organization and help them reach the promised land.
Last year, I became quite aggravated when several Mets’ fans began to point the finger at my beloved Shawn Green for everything that went wrong. The New York Post even commented on how he was an “undervalued” component of their team. I strongly feel that he was not responsible for their historical collapse at the end of the 2007 Regular Season, because he hit for an incredible .407 batting average through September.
Before the Mets’ historical collapse, in August, I actually had the opportunity to meet Shawn Green at the "Build A Bear" Workshop in New York City. I wore my Arizona Diamondbacks jersey with my (now old) Dodgers’ T-Shirt underneath. Everyone, including Shawn, realized that one of the largest Shawn Green fanatics was in attendance.
When I stepped up to have an autograph and picture with Shawn Green, he grinned and muttered that I had been following him through all of the years. After taking our wonderful picture, I thanked him for luring me into the world of baseball as he smiled and thanked me for my allegiance. Throughout the event, he kept his eye on me realizing that I was one of the few people who still believed in him.
I will miss Shawn Green as I continue to follow Major League Baseball. No longer will I be searching for his name in the newspaper’s box scores, or swinging home-runs with him in a video game. Baseball will be different without having him on the diamond.
Thank you, Shawn.
Original Article: MetsBaseball.Tumblr.Com
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