BREAKTHROUGH : noun, often attributive \ˈbrāk-ˌthrü\
: a sudden increase in knowledge, understanding, etc. : an important discovery that happens after trying for a long time to understand or explain something
Shawn Green was always one of those below the radar guys to me. I knew he was good in bits and pieces, but after checking out his stats on baseball-reference.com and reading his bio on Wikipedia I was blown away. This dude was AWESOME! Here's his overview from Wikipedia:
Shawn David Green (born November 10, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball right-fielder. Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star. He drove in 100 runs four times and scored 100 runs four times, hit 40 or more home runs three times, led the league in doubles, extra base hits, and total bases, won both a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award, and set the Dodgers single-season record in home runs. Green was also in the top five in the league in home runs, RBIs, intentional walks, and MVP voting.
Green holds or is tied for the following major league records: most home runs in a game (4), most extra base hits in a game (5), most total bases in a game (19), most runs scored in a game (6), most home runs in two consecutive games (5), most home runs in three consecutive games (7), and most consecutive home runs (4). He hit his 4 home runs, 5 extra base hits, and 19 total bases against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002. Green broke the record of 18 total bases (4 home runs and double) set by Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves (vs. Brooklyn Dodgers) in 1954.
At the time of his retirement, he was one of only four active players with at least 300 home runs, 1,000 runs and RBIs, 400 doubles, a .280 batting average, and 150 stolen bases. The others were Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Gary Sheffield, each of whom was at least two years older than Green, with at least 1,400 more at bats (though in each case, the other three had considerably more home runs and, in the case of Bonds, far more doubles and runs scored too).
Green was noted for his smooth swing. He was also known for the strength and accuracy of his arm; he had 14 assists from the outfield, for example, in 1998.
Green was one of the best-known Jewish major league ballplayers,[1] and the most prominent one with the New York Mets since Art Shamsky played right field for the 1969 World Champion Mets.[2] Of Jewish major leaguers, only Hank Greenberg, with 331 home runs and 1,276 RBIs, has more major league home runs and RBIs than Green.[3][4] Green opted to miss games on Yom Kippur, even when his team was in the middle of a playoff race.[5] Green was arguably the best Jewish baseball player since Sandy Koufax, although his stats (especially his home runs) declined in his last years.[6] Shawn Green retired on February 28, 2008.
