Shawn Green is At Peace With Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Breaking His Franchise Home Run Record
Twenty-three years ago today, Dodgers slugger Shawn Green was sitting on 46 home runs. He was also sitting in a more literal sense — all of Major League Baseball was observing a week-long hiatus while the nation recovered from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The Dodgers returned to the field on Sept. 17. Green would hit another three home runs over the season’s final 18 games, finishing with a franchise-record 49 home runs.
That record is likely to fall soon. Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani has 47 home runs after hitting another Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. He’s already achieved the first 40-homer, 40-steal season in Dodgers history, with 48 steals through Thursday’s off-day.
Barring anything unforeseeable, Ohtani will soon be the franchise single-season record holder in home runs as well.
For his part, Green has made peace with this.
“I think Ohtani is the greatest baseball player who ever lived. If he retired today he’d be the greatest baseball player,” Green said in a telephone interview Thursday with Dodgers Nation. “And so for me, it’s been definitely an honor to hold the most home runs in a season by a Dodger. If it’s going to get broken, why not be broken by the greatest player who ever lived?”
Green has been admiring Ohtani’s career from afar since the Japanese two-way star debuted with the Angels in 2018. The pending single-season home run record is just one of many facets of Ohtani’s record-breaking season, which could very well end with him collecting the first MVP award ever by a full-time DH.
Of all Ohtani’s achievements this season, one caught Green’s eye in particular: he has had only two multi-homer games all season. Ohtani hit two home runs on May 5 against the Atlanta Braves and two on June 16 against the Kansas City Royals, both home games. Each of his other 43 home runs were the only home run he hit that day.
That lack of streakiness is rare. Green, for example, collected seven of his record 49 home runs in a three-game stretch in Colorado and St. Louis, Sept. 6-8, 2001.
Green has one 35-35 season on his resume, with Toronto in 1998. He never envisioned 40-40 for himself. He never envisioned 50-50 for anyone. The unprecedented combination of hitting and baserunning is the primary driver of Ohtani’s MVP support.
Count Green among those on the bandwagon.
“The pressure it puts on the other team — this guy’s going to hit 50 home runs so let’s put him on base, but he can steal bases too, so now he’s on second, now on third, we have to pitch to him,” Green said. “Both weapons lift up the other weapon.”
Ohtani’s quest for the first 50-50 season in history — and Green’s record — resumes Friday when Dodgers begin a three-game series in Atlanta.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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