Today In Dodger History: Dodgers Acquire Shawn Green From Blue Jays
November 8, 1999
Coming off a 77-85 season in which they finished in third place, the Dodgers made an off-season swap of slugging outfielders with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers sent outfielder Raul Mondesi and pitcher Pedro Borbon to the Blue Jays for outfielder Shawn Green and a minor leaguer.
The trade sent fan favorite Mondesi, who hit .253 with 33 home runs and 99 RBI during the ’99 season, across the border for the left-handed hitting Green, who hit .309 with 42 home runs and 123 RBI. Green was set to become a free agent after the 2000 season and made it known that he wanted to be closer to his home in Southern California. Knowing this, the Blue Jays traded the then 26-year-old in order to receive some compensation for his departure.
Green signed a six-year, $84 million extension with the Dodgers after the trade. In his first season with the team, Green’s numbers regressed to a .264 average with 24 home runs and 99 RBI.
However, Green would redeem himself in 2001 when he hit .297 with 49 home runs and 125 RBI. He would set the Dodgers all-time record for home runs in a season, a record he still holds today. Despite his numbers, Green would finish sixth in the MVP voting that year. In 2002, the Dodgers received more of the same when Green hit .285 with 42 home runs and 118 RBI.
That year, he had a game where he hit four home runs and also added a double. He tied the record for home runs in a game and for most extra-base hits in a game with five. He set the major league record for most total bases in a game with 19 and he would finish the week with nine home runs setting an NL record.
Green spent two more seasons with the Dodgers and put up less gaudy numbers, but was still serviceable. In 2005, the Dodgers traded Green to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for four players.
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