Shawn Green Approaching the End of the Line

With two years left on his $17.5 million contract, Arizona's Shawn Green is virtually guaranteed playing time and will be given every chance to prove that he has something left. But at 33, Green's best days are long behind him and scouts say he looks as though he's finished. Always a slow starter, Green is barely batting .200 with only one homer. In the early games in years past Green would start slow, yes, but he could be expected to hit at least .260-.270 with a half dozen longballs before his bat came to life around June 1. More and more, however, Green has a proclivity for swinging long, slow and late, as evidenced by a preponderance of little hoppers he hits down the left field line, most of which impotently dribble foul. Hard to believe that just a few short years ago this was the player who hit 49 homers playing in pitcher friendly Dodger Stadium. It would seem Green would at least be worth a minimum .260 average and 20 homers by the end of the year, but some observers predict he'll never make it.