Dallas Green
Encyclopedia
George Dallas Green is a former pitcher
, manager
, and executive in Major League Baseball
. After playing for the Philadelphia Phillies
and two other teams, he went on to manage the Phillies, the New York Yankees
, and the New York Mets
, and managed the Phillies when they won their first World Series
title in franchise history in 1980
. Green had a losing record both as a pitcher and as a manager. Nonetheless, in 1983, he was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
. He achieved notoriety for his blunt manner.
. A 1952 graduate of Conrad High School his nickname was Spider. After attending the University of Delaware
, he was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent
.
An example of the way that Dallas Green had of speaking to the press about ballplayers was his comment about Scott Rolen
in 2001: "Scotty's satisfied with being a so-so player. I think he can be greater, but his personality won't let him." Rolen has since been elected to the All Star team 6 times, although his career has been riddled with injury since that comment.
and catcher Bob Boone
, both Gold Glove winners. He even came to blows with relief pitcher Ron Reed
. Still, in 1980 the team won the World Series.
After the Tribune Company
bought the Chicago Cubs
from the Wrigley family in , the company hired Green away from the Phillies after the 1981 season as executive vice president and general manager
. His presence was quickly felt in the organization, as his slogan "Building a New Tradition" was a jab at the Cubs' history of losing. He hired a number of coaches and scouts away from the Phillies, such as Lee Elia
(Green's first manager and college roommate at Delaware), John Vukovich
(who remained on the Cubs' staff throughout Green's tenure), and Gordon Goldsberry
(the team's director of player development). Green also made some trades with the Phillies, acquiring players such as Keith Moreland
, Dan Larson, and Dickie Noles
. His best trade came during that first offseason when Green sent Iván DeJesús
to the Phillies for shortstop Larry Bowa
and a minor league infielder named Ryne Sandberg
. It proved to be one of the most one-sided trades in baseball history. Bowa was the Cubs starting shortstop for three seasons, and Sandberg blossomed into a star, being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Green continued to build the Cubs between the 1982 and 1987 seasons. After acquiring left fielder Gary Matthews
and center fielder Bob Dernier
from Philadelphia before the 1984 season, Green's Cubs became serious contenders for the first time in more than a decade. During the 1984 season, Green made a few more moves, most notably acquiring right-handed pitcher Dennis Eckersley
from the Boston Red Sox
for popular first baseman Bill Buckner
in late May, and sending Cubs' prospects Mel Hall
and Joe Carter
to the Cleveland Indians
for relief pitcher George Frazier, backup catcher Ron Hassey
and right-handed pitcher Rick Sutcliffe in mid-June. Sutcliffe went 16-1 with the Cubs that season to lead the Cubs to the National League East
title—their first postseason appearance of any kind since the 1945 World Series
. Because Green neglected to renew waivers on Hall and Carter, the status of the trade was in doubt for a while, and the two did not play for a week. Green's first-year manager Jim Frey
(who managed the Kansas City Royals
against Green in 1980) won NL Manager of the Year, Sutcliffe won the NL Cy Young Award
, and Sandberg won the NL Most Valuable Player Award. Green captured Executive of the Year honors. The Cubs' strong season was enough for Green to win a power struggle within the Cubs front office; he was promoted to team president, replacing Jim Finks
, who resigned to take a job with the New Orleans Saints
of the National Football League
.
The Cubs struggled in 1985 and 1986. It finished last in 1987. In 1987, Green fired manager Gene Michael over Labor Day
weekend, blasted his team for quitting in an interview with the Chicago Tribune
, and then resigned as general manager and president of the Cubs in October 1987 citing "philosophical differences" with Tribune Company executives.
Green was the first Cubs executive to clash with the City of Chicago
over lights in Wrigley Field
. Green was a strong proponent of lights from the start of his tenure, but a city ordinance prohibited the Cubs from installing lights in the residential Lakeview
neighborhood, where Wrigley Field was located. As Green saw it, the issue wasn't lights or no lights, but Wrigley Field or move to the suburbs. Bluntly stating that "if there are no lights in Wrigley Field, there will be no Wrigley Field," he threatened to move the Cubs to a new stadium in northwest suburban Schaumburg
or Arlington Heights
. He also seriously considered shutting down Wrigley Field for a year and playing at Comiskey Park
as tenants of the White Sox
, in hopes that the loss of revenue would temper or eliminate neighborhood opposition. Green's stance changed the context of the debate, as even the staunchest opponents of installing lights did not want to be held responsible for the Cubs leaving town. Shortly before Green's departure, the Chicago City Council
and Mayor Harold Washington
(who died a week later) approved a change to the ordinance, allowing the Cubs to install lights in 1988.
Green also rebuilt the Cubs' farm system with Goldsberry, developing stars like Shawon Dunston
, Greg Maddux
, Rafael Palmeiro
, Jamie Moyer
, and Mark Grace. The Cubs won a division title in .
With the Phillies (1979–81), he was over .500 with a record of 169–130. He inherited a team that had come in first in the division for 3 of the prior 4 years under Danny Ozark. They continued their winning ways under Green at first, winning the World Series in 1980. But some felt that it was his players' shared hatred toward Green, who criticized them in the press, that propelled the Phillies to their first World Series title. By 1981 the team fell to the 3rd best record in the division. Pat Corrales
took over the next year, steering the team to a 2nd place finish, and then reasserting the team as division leader the next year.
With the Yankees (1989), he was also under .500 at 56–65 (.463). The team had finished 9 games over .500 the prior year, but fell to 9 games under .500 during Green's tenure. Green had also insulted George Steinbrenner
by referring to him as "Manager George."
With the Mets (1993–96), he was under .500 at 229–283 (.447). While the Mets had been 18 games under .500 prior to Green taking the helm, in 1993 they fell to 32 games under Green—in the portion of the season (124 games) that he managed them. They remained under .500 until Bobby Valentine
took over the team in 1996.
Currently, he is a Senior Advisor to the General Manager for the Phillies.
. Her interest in government prompted a neighbor to take her to the event with the congresswoman. Green, after receiving the news of his granddaughter's death, said that this was the worst thing that has ever happened to his family.
His son, John Green, is a supervisor of amateur scouts (east coast) and is currently working for the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
, and executive in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. After playing for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and two other teams, he went on to manage the Phillies, the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, and the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, and managed the Phillies when they won their first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
title in franchise history in 1980
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
. Green had a losing record both as a pitcher and as a manager. Nonetheless, in 1983, he was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is a membership-based organization founded in 1976. The organization runs a museum with exhibits at Daniel S...
. He achieved notoriety for his blunt manner.
Early life
Green was born in Newport, DelawareNewport, Delaware
Newport is a town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located on the Christina River. It is best known for being the home of colonial inventor Oliver Evans. The population was 1,055 at the 2010 census...
. A 1952 graduate of Conrad High School his nickname was Spider. After attending the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
, he was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Manner
Dallas Green is probably best known for his difficult interpersonal manner. As he himself has proudly said: "I'm a screamer, a yeller and a cusser. I never hold back." He achieved notoriety for his profanity-laced tirades.An example of the way that Dallas Green had of speaking to the press about ballplayers was his comment about Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen
Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
in 2001: "Scotty's satisfied with being a so-so player. I think he can be greater, but his personality won't let him." Rolen has since been elected to the All Star team 6 times, although his career has been riddled with injury since that comment.
Front office
After his playing days ended, Green joined the Phillies front office. In , he was appointed manager of the Phillies, replacing Danny Ozark. His difficult manner led to clashes with many of the teams's star players, such as slugger Greg Luzinski (who likened him to the Gestapo) and shortstop Larry BowaLarry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
and catcher Bob Boone
Bob Boone
Robert Raymond Boone is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, Bob Boone is the son of a major league player, the late third baseman Ray Boone, and the father of two major leaguers: former second baseman Bret Boone and...
, both Gold Glove winners. He even came to blows with relief pitcher Ron Reed
Ron Reed
Ronald Lee Reed is a retired American starting/relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves , St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox...
. Still, in 1980 the team won the World Series.
After the Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
bought the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
from the Wrigley family in , the company hired Green away from the Phillies after the 1981 season as executive vice president and general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
. His presence was quickly felt in the organization, as his slogan "Building a New Tradition" was a jab at the Cubs' history of losing. He hired a number of coaches and scouts away from the Phillies, such as Lee Elia
Lee Elia
Lee Constantine Elia is a former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball. He was a manager of the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies . Additionally, he has served as a coach for the Phillies, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore...
(Green's first manager and college roommate at Delaware), John Vukovich
John Vukovich
John Christopher Vukovich was an American third baseman and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his years of service with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played in parts of ten seasons from 1970 to 1981 for the Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers...
(who remained on the Cubs' staff throughout Green's tenure), and Gordon Goldsberry
Gordon Goldsberry
Gordon Frederick Goldsberry was an American professional baseball player, scout and front-office executive. As a player, he was a first baseman who appeared in 217 Major League Baseball games for the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns between and...
(the team's director of player development). Green also made some trades with the Phillies, acquiring players such as Keith Moreland
Keith Moreland
Bobby Keith "Zonk" Moreland is a former outfielder, catcher and infield in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres. In , the final year of his career, he played for the Detroit Tigers, then the Baltimore Orioles...
, Dan Larson, and Dickie Noles
Dickie Noles
Dickie Ray Noles was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , Chicago Cubs , Texas Rangers , Cleveland Indians , Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles ....
. His best trade came during that first offseason when Green sent Iván DeJesús
Ivan DeJesus
Iván Alvarez DeJesús is a former Major League Baseball player from 1974 to 1988 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Detroit Tigers. DeJesús was regarded as a good fielding but light hitting shortstop...
to the Phillies for shortstop Larry Bowa
Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
and a minor league infielder named Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Dee Sandberg , nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best...
. It proved to be one of the most one-sided trades in baseball history. Bowa was the Cubs starting shortstop for three seasons, and Sandberg blossomed into a star, being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Green continued to build the Cubs between the 1982 and 1987 seasons. After acquiring left fielder Gary Matthews
Gary Matthews
Gary Nathaniel Matthews Sr. , nicknamed Sarge, is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball. He now serves as a color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies. From through , Matthews played for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Seattle...
and center fielder Bob Dernier
Bob Dernier
Robert Eugene Dernier, also known as "Bobby", was a center fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs in the 1980s. The fleet-afoot 1984 Gold Glove Award winner was also nicknamed "The Deer" by The Wrigley Faithful. Dernier was the lead-off hitter Cubs' 1984 N.L. East Championship...
from Philadelphia before the 1984 season, Green's Cubs became serious contenders for the first time in more than a decade. During the 1984 season, Green made a few more moves, most notably acquiring right-handed pitcher Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley , nicknamed "Eck", is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career .He...
from the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for popular first baseman Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
in late May, and sending Cubs' prospects Mel Hall
Mel Hall
Melvin Hall Jr. is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1996 with the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants. He also played in Japan from 1993-1995...
and Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for relief pitcher George Frazier, backup catcher Ron Hassey
Ron Hassey
Ronald William Hassey is a retired Major League Baseball catcher. Hassey began his career with the Cleveland Indians after the Indians drafted him in the 18th round of the 1976 MLB amateur draft...
and right-handed pitcher Rick Sutcliffe in mid-June. Sutcliffe went 16-1 with the Cubs that season to lead the Cubs to the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title—their first postseason appearance of any kind since the 1945 World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
. Because Green neglected to renew waivers on Hall and Carter, the status of the trade was in doubt for a while, and the two did not play for a week. Green's first-year manager Jim Frey
Jim Frey
James Gottfried Frey is a former manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He led the Kansas City Royals to their first American League championship in 1980, in his first year with the team...
(who managed the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
against Green in 1980) won NL Manager of the Year, Sutcliffe won the NL Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
, and Sandberg won the NL Most Valuable Player Award. Green captured Executive of the Year honors. The Cubs' strong season was enough for Green to win a power struggle within the Cubs front office; he was promoted to team president, replacing Jim Finks
Jim Finks
James Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:...
, who resigned to take a job with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
The Cubs struggled in 1985 and 1986. It finished last in 1987. In 1987, Green fired manager Gene Michael over Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend, blasted his team for quitting in an interview with the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, and then resigned as general manager and president of the Cubs in October 1987 citing "philosophical differences" with Tribune Company executives.
Green was the first Cubs executive to clash with the City of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
over lights in Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. Green was a strong proponent of lights from the start of his tenure, but a city ordinance prohibited the Cubs from installing lights in the residential Lakeview
Lakeview, Chicago
Lake View, or Lakeview, is one of the 77 community area of the Chicago, Illinois, located in the city's North Side. It is bordered by West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake Michigan on the east...
neighborhood, where Wrigley Field was located. As Green saw it, the issue wasn't lights or no lights, but Wrigley Field or move to the suburbs. Bluntly stating that "if there are no lights in Wrigley Field, there will be no Wrigley Field," he threatened to move the Cubs to a new stadium in northwest suburban Schaumburg
Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
or Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
. He also seriously considered shutting down Wrigley Field for a year and playing at Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
as tenants of the White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, in hopes that the loss of revenue would temper or eliminate neighborhood opposition. Green's stance changed the context of the debate, as even the staunchest opponents of installing lights did not want to be held responsible for the Cubs leaving town. Shortly before Green's departure, the Chicago City Council
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
and Mayor Harold Washington
Harold Washington
Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...
(who died a week later) approved a change to the ordinance, allowing the Cubs to install lights in 1988.
Green also rebuilt the Cubs' farm system with Goldsberry, developing stars like Shawon Dunston
Shawon Dunston
Shawon Donnell Dunston is a former shortstop and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball. He resides in Fremont, CA. He was the first overall pick in the 1982 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, and played for the Cubs , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates , Cleveland Indians , St...
, Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
, Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985...
, Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
, and Mark Grace. The Cubs won a division title in .
Managerial career
His managerial record is 454–478, a .487 WP.With the Phillies (1979–81), he was over .500 with a record of 169–130. He inherited a team that had come in first in the division for 3 of the prior 4 years under Danny Ozark. They continued their winning ways under Green at first, winning the World Series in 1980. But some felt that it was his players' shared hatred toward Green, who criticized them in the press, that propelled the Phillies to their first World Series title. By 1981 the team fell to the 3rd best record in the division. Pat Corrales
Pat Corrales
Patrick Corrales , is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who played from 1964–1973, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds, but also for the Philadelphia Phillies, St...
took over the next year, steering the team to a 2nd place finish, and then reasserting the team as division leader the next year.
With the Yankees (1989), he was also under .500 at 56–65 (.463). The team had finished 9 games over .500 the prior year, but fell to 9 games under .500 during Green's tenure. Green had also insulted George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
by referring to him as "Manager George."
With the Mets (1993–96), he was under .500 at 229–283 (.447). While the Mets had been 18 games under .500 prior to Green taking the helm, in 1993 they fell to 32 games under Green—in the portion of the season (124 games) that he managed them. They remained under .500 until Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
took over the team in 1996.
Currently, he is a Senior Advisor to the General Manager for the Phillies.
Personal
Green's nine-year-old granddaughter, Christina-Taylor Green, was killed in the 2011 Tucson shooting2011 Tucson shooting
On January 8, 2011, a mass shooting occurred near Tucson, Arizona. Nineteen people were shot, six of them fatally, with one other person injured at the scene during an open meeting that U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding with members of her constituency in a Casas Adobes Safeway...
. Her interest in government prompted a neighbor to take her to the event with the congresswoman. Green, after receiving the news of his granddaughter's death, said that this was the worst thing that has ever happened to his family.
His son, John Green, is a supervisor of amateur scouts (east coast) and is currently working for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
External links
- Career Bio at BaseballLibrary.com