Stanford University graduate Sean Greene was returning to Orange County after dropping off his youngest daughter for her freshman year of college when he started getting text messages.
“My phone started blowing up,” the former Dodgers slugger said, “so it wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on.”
Green set the Dodgers’ single-season franchise record with 49 homers in 2001, but as he approached Southern California on Thursday afternoon, Shohei Ohtani tied that mark with a two-run shot to right field in the sixth inning, ultimately leading to a 20-4 postseason victory over the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.
By the time Green pulled into the garage of his Newport Beach home, Ohtani had stopped shot No. 50, a two-run shot to left field in the seventh inning, and No. 51, a three-run bomb 440 feet to the upper deck in right-center in the ninth inning.
It capped a six-hit, three-homer, two-double, 10-RBI, 17-base game in which Ohtani had his 50th and 51st stolen bases of the season, making him the first player in league history to have 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.
Green, 51, didn’t see Ohtani break his record in real time, but he turned on the TV in time to watch highlights of the postgame show.
“If you’re going to lose a record, you want it to be to a great player, and he’s the best player in the world,” Green said of Ohtani, a two-way star who suffered a concussion while recovering from elbow surgery this season. “And the fact that he did it in such a historic way is maybe even better.”
“Being 50-50 is not just a Dodger thing, it’s an unprecedented feat in the Major Leagues. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe how incredible he’s been throughout his career, but especially in this first season with the Dodgers, with all the pressure. It’s truly amazing what he’s been able to do.”
Sean Greene greets his teammates in the dugout after his fourth hit during a win over Milwaukee on May 23, 2002.
(Los Angeles Dodgers)
Green is one of the few major league players to have experienced Ohtani’s dominance while destroying the Marlins.
On May 23, 2002, the left-handed Greene hit four home runs, a double and a single, earning a major league-record 19 bases and driving in seven runs to lead the Dodgers to a 16–3 record over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Had Ohtani’s first-inning double, a fly ball off the right-field wall, been a few feet higher Thursday, it would have matched Green’s four homers and 19 total bases.
“What an incredible game,” Green said. “But with him, you don’t get surprised by anything.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was the team’s center fielder in 2002, so when asked if he’s ever seen Ohtani play like that, he harks back to the Green Monster’s days in Milwaukee.
“I saw Sean Greene go 6-for-6 with four homers,” Roberts said, “but I think I’m just seeing the size of it. (Ohtani) was just about done and, amazingly, he broke Sean Greene’s Dodgers record… I’m sorry, Sean, but in general, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like that.”
Was Ohtani’s day in Miami better than Green’s in Milwaukee?
“Oh, you’ll have to ask someone else that question,” Green said. “It’s for all the talk show people who discuss that kind of stuff. It’s not for me.”
Green wasn’t surprised to see his homer hit by Ohtani, who hit 46 homers in 2021 and 44 in 2023 for the Angels, earning AL MVP honors each season.
“The thing that bothers me the most is the stolen bases,” Green said. “I had a year where I stole 35 bases (for Toronto in 1998) and it was really tough. I’m the same height (6 feet 4). Like Ohtani and elite base stealers tend to be more compact, guys like Rickey Henderson, Vince Coleman and Maury Wills can get the first pitches quickly.
Is Shohei Ohtani having his best season with the Dodgers yet? Los Angeles Times writer Jack Harris spoke with columnists Dylan Hernandez and Bill Plaschk about today’s historic significance.
“But being his size — not just his 50 steal attempts, but when you’re running and the ball gets dirty, it takes a toll on your body. And if you’re stealing bases, you have to do it. He’s running every day, it’s hot, and he’s taking a more aggressive approach and it’s going to take a toll on your body over the course of a long season.”
Ohtani entered Friday with a .294 average, a 1.004 slugging percentage, 34 doubles, seven triples, 120 RBIs and 123 runs to go along with his 51 homers and 51 stolen bases, but Green’s numbers are just as impressive as Ohtani’s only four stolen hits.
“It’s crazy,” Green said. “And it’s not like he sneaks up on people, especially when he’s going 50-50. Every time he’s on base, they think he’s going to run. Every time he gets up, they’re worried he’s going to run. To be able to do that with the other team’s focus on preventing those two things is even more amazing.”
On August 23, Ohtani had a big game against Tampa Bay and went 50-50. He has nine more games left to complete those numbers.
“This guy is doing things that nobody would believe and for all we know, it could be 60-60,” Green said. “This is a must-watch baseball game right now.”
