This Might Be About Coolest Rivalry Going

Shawn Green is going home again, but for the first time as a Dodger.

The Dodgers play the Angels in a three-game interleague series beginning tonight at Edison Field, marking another homecoming for the former Orange County resident. Green faced the Angels often in Anaheim while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, but the all-star right fielder now wears a different shade of blue.

Green has met the high expectations accompanying his eyebrow-raising contract.

He has been a force on the field and a positive presence in the clubhouse while improving fan relations for one of professional sports’ most image-conscience organizations. The Dodgers consider Green’s $84-million deal one of their best investments, and they’re glad the Angels didn’t want him.

The Dodgers lacked left-handed power and the Angels had other off-season needs, so their paths didn’t cross. That’s fine with Green, who has wanted to work at Chavez Ravine since his Tustin High days.

Nothing against the Angels, Green said, but being a Dodger suits him best.

“I’m not upset at all about it [not being pursued by the Angels],” said Green, who recently moved from his condominium in Newport Beach to a house in Pacific Palisades.

“I really wanted to play for the Dodgers, I thought this would be the best place for me for a lot of reasons, and the last thing the Angels wanted was another left-handed hitting outfielder.

“They had [Jim] Edmonds [now with the St. Louis Cardinals], [Darin] Erstad and Garret [Anderson]. They were trying to get rid of someone, so that [going to the Angels] wasn’t going to happen.”

Not that Green didn’t consider the possibility.

He discussed the subject with his agent, Jeff Moorad, in September before Moorad engineered the four-player November trade that brought Green to the Dodgers. Green’s parents, Ira and Judy, still reside in Tustin and operate an instructional school called the Baseball Academy in Santa Ana.

“When Shawn and I first discussed the possibility of him playing for another team, I asked the obvious question, ‘What about the Angels?’ ” Moorad said. “He thought it would be a mixed blessing because, on one hand, he would have had the opportunity to play before his family and friends closer to where he grew up. On the other hand, there are obvious pressures put on local athletes that aren’t put on others.

“The Dodgers just made a whole lot of sense to him. Playing for them provided him with the opportunity to come back to his home area without being right on top of where he grew up.”

Green attended more games at Edison Field, formerly known as Anaheim Stadium, than Dodger Stadium as a teenager. He first played on the Angels’ field with Tustin High’s baseball team in the 1990 Southern Section Division 3-A championship game.

“I went to a lot more Angel games, and I had a good time, but I always felt there was more of an atmosphere at Dodger games,” Green said. “It was just more exciting, and there was always an attraction to going to Dodger Stadium.

“I’m not sure what the word is, but there has always been this romance with the Dodgers. Maybe it’s because the Dodgers have had so much history. It just seems like when you come to a game everyone is really fired up.”

Green’s performance stirs excitement now.

He has had a major impact offensively and is among the National League leaders in several categories. Green tops Dodger regulars with a .337 batting average--tied for 10th in the league--and has 10 home runs and 39 runs batted in. He’s tied for second in the NL with 19 doubles, third with 30 extra-base hits and fifth with 45 runs.

Moreover, Green has set the table for left fielder Gary Sheffield and first baseman Eric Karros. He has walked 35 times and his .450 on-base percentage is fifth best in the league.

The Dodgers average six runs per game, an increase from 4.82 through 50 games last season. They’re fifth in the NL in runs scored and seventh in the major leagues.

Green’s teammates said he has been the difference.

“He has exceeded all expectations,” Sheffield said. “When I talked to [Green’s former Toronto teammate Carlos] Delgado, he told me Greenie is a quiet kid and he’s always the same no matter if he’s going good or bad. He said, ‘I love the kid.’ That’s the last words he left me with. Everything he told me was right.

“Greenie brings a different dimension in the clubhouse. He’s one of those guys who makes a difference. He just has a presence, and he’s everything that you would want in a player on and off the field.”

Dodger executives agree. They are impressed by Green’s play and approach with fans.

“Shawn has been tremendous,” said Dodger senior vice president Derrick Hall, whose duties include community affairs. “He understands that there is more to his job than what goes on between the lines.

“He is willing to help the organization on any front, as well as most of the charitable organizations that have come knocking on his door. He has been extremely cooperative with all of our marketing and advertising efforts, as well as any of our [media] relations needs, because he believes in giving back.”

Green typically provided about 40 tickets for his family and friends when the Blue Jays played the Angels. His mother said another big Green contingent is expected.

“A lot of people have told us that they plan to be there tonight to see Shawn,” Judy said. “We expect quite a supportive group.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Mutual Gains

The Dodgers and Angels have played seven home games against each other since interleague play began in 1977. How their average attendance compares to their attendance when playing each other at home.

Dodgers vs Angels

17% Increase

‘97-99: 39,111

‘97-99: 45,747

*

Angels vs. Dodgers

51% Increase

‘97-99: 26,912

‘97-99: 40,637