It's on Their Shoulders

By JASON REID

April 2, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Shawn Green chose an often difficult path, but his family comes first and challenges don’t scare the new Dodger franchise player.

Green stayed the course despite horror stories of failed homecomings, and the Dodgers did their part, acquiring the former Tustin High standout from the Toronto Blue Jays in November and giving the right fielder an $84-million contract.

Green plans to do the rest.

He figures to face pressure in the local-kid-turned-star role, and the organization is counting on him to help restore its tarnished image. Of course, Green understood the situation from the outset, and he can’t turn back now.

He’s home, surrounded by family and friends, wealthy beyond his imagination and calls Chavez Ravine his office. There are worse ways to earn a living.

“This was the No. 1 place I wanted to be,” the left-handed cleanup batter said. “I know people talk about how difficult it is playing at home, I’ve heard about problems other guys have run into, but I really think it all depends on how you look at it.

“If you’re somewhere where you feel comfortable, and you’re contributing to something you feel good about, what could be wrong with that?”

Nothing, in Green’s eyes, though those close to him had concerns.

Ira and Judy Green watched their only son become one of the game’s top all-around players, elevating himself among baseball’s elite the last two seasons. The problem was, they couldn’t watch Shawn enough.

The Tustin residents attended Angel games when the Blue Jays came to town and often traveled to other cities to watch them. It would be easier for them if Shawn played for a team closer to home, they often thought, but Ira knew there could be problems.

“It was definitely on my mind,” said Ira, who operates an instructional school called the Baseball Academy in Santa Ana. “You can kind of look at some of the things other players went through, with the expectations of fans and things like that, and I think there are some questions you have to ask.

“We talked about it and weighed the pros and cons, and it was something Shawn felt strongly about. A lot of it was he really wanted to do this for us, and he convinced us he could handle everything.”

Then Green worked on his agent, Jeff Moorad.

Their plan had been for Green to join the New York Yankees once he became eligible for free agency after the 2000 season. Green shifted gears during a dinner meeting with Moorad in Toronto at the end of last season, telling Moorad he wanted to play for the Dodgers--as soon as possible.

“We had been talking about the Yankees consistently for a couple of years, so I didn’t know where that was coming from,” Moorad said. “I spent the better part of the dinner playing devil’s advocate to make sure he was certain about this. The problems other clients of [his practice] have faced [returning home] over the years was certainly one of the subjects we discussed.

“I wanted him to know exactly what he could be getting himself into. But the more we talked, it was clear that this was a decision he had already made based on what was best for his personal life as well as his long-term baseball future. He knew what he wanted.”

Getting Green to the Dodgers was a problem, though. He still had a year to go before free agency, and the Blue Jays weren’t planning to trade him because five-tool players are hard to find.

Shortly after Green’s dinner surprise, Moorad arranged a meeting with Toronto General Manager Gord Ash. Green told Ash he wouldn’t sign a contract extension, forcing Ash to consider trading the Blue Jays’ former No. 1 draft choice or receive only draft picks as compensation if they lost him in free agency.

Ash reluctantly agreed to work with Moorad on a deal, but stressed he wouldn’t give Green away cheaply. Meanwhile, the Dodgers had problems of their own with another of Moorad’s clients, outfielder Raul Mondesi.

Mondesi told the Dodgers he wanted out after blasting General Manager Kevin Malone and Manager Davey Johnson in a stunning expletive-filled diatribe. Malone had been impressed with Green for several seasons and viewed him as the solution to the club’s longtime left-handed power problem.

Working with Ash and Malone, Moorad engineered a four-player trade that sent Green to Los Angeles and Mondesi to Toronto. Then Moorad, new Dodger Chairman Bob Daly and team counsel Sam Fernandez negotiated a six-year, $84-million contract extension for Green.

The total value of Green’s package makes him the game’s fifth highest-paid player. Cincinnati outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. tops the list with a nine-year, $116.5-million contract, Dodger pitcher Kevin Brown is second with a seven-year, $105-million deal, New York Met catcher Mike Piazza is third at seven years, $91 million, and New York Yankee center fielder Bernie Williams has a seven-year, $87-million deal.

Moreover, Green is second only to his teammate with a $14-million average annual value. And Green’s fifth- and sixth-year salaries of $16 million established a new mark.

As if he didn’t have enough pressure already.

“Well, it’s not necessarily what I would have hoped for [setting a salary record],” Green said. “It’s really not something I focus on, but it’s going to be nice when some people pass me.”

What did the Dodgers receive for their investment?

“An all-around player and a steadying force on the team,” Met General Manager Steve Phillips said. “He’s got all the offensive and defensive tools, and he’s one of those guys who is stable and consistent in the clubhouse.”

Green, 27, became the Blue Jays’ everyday right fielder in ‘98, his fourth full season with the club. He had a breakout year, batting .278 with 35 home runs, 100 runs batted in and 35 stolen bases, becoming the club’s first 30-30 player.

Last season, Green hit 42 homers with a .309 average and 123 RBIs--leading the league in total bases, extra-base hits and doubles--and won his first Gold Glove Award. He was selected to play in his first All-Star game, where he met Dodger outfielder Gary Sheffield.

“I knew he was the guy we needed,” said Sheffield, who told Dodger officials. “You look at that left-handed bat, and you see that’s an area we needed help in, and it just made a lot of sense.”

Green agreed, though he had mixed emotions about leaving the Blue Jays.

He became close with first baseman Carlos Delgado and shortstop Alex Gonzalez during their ascent through the Blue Jays’ farm system and five seasons together in the big leagues. He also had a good relationship with Ash and Dave Stewart, assistant general manager, but the allure of playing in the Southland was too strong.

“The hardest thing about me leaving there is that we had a great group of guys,” Green said. “We enjoyed coming to the clubhouse and we always had fun.

“I’m going to miss a bunch of those guys, but I felt that wasn’t a strong enough reason to sign a long-term contract there because guys change teams. It’s just part of the game.”

Delgado said Green is missed.

“There’s no feeling sorry for ourselves that we don’t have Shawn, but we do miss him,” he said. “We both understand the business. You’re here one day, but you don’t know about tomorrow. We had good times.”

Not all were good for Green. He had a rocky relationship with former manager Cito Gaston.

Green platooned for three seasons under Gaston and was benched briefly in ’97 in favor of Ruben Sierra. The next spring, new manager Tim Johnson committed to Green, making him the everyday right fielder and No. 3 batter.

Green won’t discuss his relationship with Gaston.

“He did go through his struggles,” Gonzalez said of his friend. “The most important thing was finally getting the opportunity to play every day. Building his confidence was the main thing, because he always had the talent.

“I went through my struggles pretty much over the same time, so we had a lot to relate to each other about. We talked about what was happening to him, and what was happening to me, and we spent a lot of time together.”

Jose Canseco mentored Green while with the Blue Jays during the ’98 season. The first 40-40 player in baseball history, Canseco said Green possesses the talent to join the club.

“He will get better because he’s still learning the game,” Canseco said. “He definitely tapped into his ability early, and he’s using a lot of his ability now, but I’m sure as he gets a little older and stronger he’ll be able to accomplish a lot more.”

The Blue Jays chose Green with the 16th overall pick in the 1991 free-agent amateur draft after his record-setting career at Tustin. He batted .479 as a senior and was selected The Times Orange County player of the year.

Green received a $580,000 signing bonus, then the third-largest ever. Throughout his time in the minors, Green, an honors student at Tustin who had a 4.6 grade-point average, completed course work at Stanford.

“Shawn was the poster child of a good son,” said Green’s older sister, Lisa, who handles many of her brother’s personal affairs. “He always did the right thing and made our mom and dad happy.”

As a Jewish athlete, Green wants to make an impact in the Southland’s Jewish community. Dodger Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax told Green to first concentrate on his performance because that must be his focus, especially this season.

Green, moving from his former off-season home in Newport Beach to a $3.9-million home he recently purchased in Pacific Palisades, plans to rely on his family. Lisa, with Moorad’s office and the Dodgers, coordinates his off-field schedule.

Ira and Judy continue to handle requests from family and friends so he can concentrate on his work. The strong support system has Green feeling confident about his decision to return home.

“I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and everything worked out,” he said. “I don’t think I could have made a better choice.”

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Season Highs

Shawn Green spent seven seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays:

Hits: 190 (1999)

HRs: 42 (1999)

RBI: 123 (1999)

Avg.: .309 (1999)

Runs: 134 (1999)

Shawn Green

1999

Avg.: .309