David Green, a former Major League Baseball player who played outfielder and first baseman, passed away as reported by La Mañana a Central America newspaper. He was 61 and apparently died as a result of Covid-19. Between 1981 and 1987, he spent parts of six seasons in the MLB. He was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals for five of those years, and he also spent one season with the San Francisco Giants. The following text is the translation from the online La Manana site:
"David Green is surely the most talented baseball player in the history of Nicaraguan baseball. He had everything to become a Major League superstar, so much so that he was compared to the immortal Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente, and according to reports of the time, 1980 and 1981, to be more precise, he was considered by several connoisseurs as the number one prospect in the world.
However, for some reason that no one knows for sure, Green did not become the "monster" that everyone projected, although he was satisfied with what he achieved in his career.
David Alejandro Green Casaya died on Tuesday, January 25 in the United States, where he lived after becoming a professional athlete. 6'3 tall, strong, fast, agile, skilled and all the qualities that can be gathered to play baseball, Green had them all.
It seems like an exaggeration, but it was. In this age when we have access to all the information, Green would be seen as a superman with that diagnosis that was had of him.
He came to the majors at the age of 20, a year after he hit 13 doubles, 19 triples and 8 home runs in Double-A. He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers and made his Minor League debut in 1979, sending a shot to Class A strong, jumping several categories as proof of his talent.
After his monstrous season in Double-A, in just his second year as a professional, the Brewers had to sacrifice him to stay in contention for the American League title and involved Green in a resounding trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, whose manager, White Herzog, did not hesitate to say that the center of change was the nica. "You can be blind and see that Green is the best prospect in baseball," Herzog said.
Green debuted at the Big Show on Sept. 4 in a Cardinals uniform after putting together 26 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 23 steals in 106 games in Triple-A. It took 16 at-bats to give up his first hit, which he did in front of Luis Tiant, but no one was desperate. It was a diamond that was being polished and sooner or later it would shine, everyone believed.
Green didn't become a major league star. He didn't become what everyone wanted him to be, but he took it upon himself to say afterwards that he was happy with what he had achieved in his life.
Many times we believe that athletes are video game dolls that we can manipulate or handle at will, but in reality they are people with their own thoughts and aspirations, and perhaps David was not obsessed with greatness, especially after the death of his father, Eduardo Green, who was his idol and someone too influential for him. He also then suffered a severe injury that probably diminished some of his abilities, such as leg speed.
He was in the majors from 1981 to 1987 with some interruptions and played with St. Louis and San Francisco. He was in the 1982 World Series against the team that signed him, Milwaukee, and helped the Cardinals to the crown. His MLB career was 489 games, with 374 hits, including 48 doubles, 18 triples and 31 home runs, plus 168 runs scored and 180 RBIs, along with 68 stolen bases.
There were seasons where he showed flashes of greatness. In 1983, at the age of 22, he hit .284 in 146 games, with 120 hits, including 14 doubles, 10 triples and 8 home runs, plus 52 runs, 69 walks and 34 steals.
He was batting champion in the Mexican League in 1981 with Ciudad Obregón, All Star in Caribbean Series in 1985 with the Tigres de Licey, of the Dominican Republic, and also with participation in Japanese baseball. Before jumping to professionalism he debuted at the age of 16 in Nicaraguan top baseball in 1976 with the UCA and in 1978 he hit .398 with the record figure for our baseball of 156 hits and also hit 20 home runs, and that same year he was with the National Team in the World Cup in Italy, with a .310 batting average and team leader with 10 runs scored. He had a great career that anyone would be proud of. What many regret is that he had the talent to make a career like no one has had in the history of our country. Most importantly, however, Green himself said goodbye to the world happy with what he did"
Originally in 1978 Green was inked to a minor league deal in 1978 by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was never on the MLB roster for the Brewers, but Green was part of a major trade between the Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals. On December 12, 1980, the Brewers traded Green, Dave LaPoint, Sixto Lezcano and Larry Sorensen to the Cardinals in exchange for Rollie Fingers, Ted Simmons and Pete Vuckovich. He joined the Cardinals late in the season and made his MLB debut on September 4, 1981. Green batted only .147 during 21 appearances for the Cardinals.
During his career Green played for the following MLB teams and Japanese teams:
St. Louis Cardinals (1981–1984)
San Francisco Giants (1985)
Kintetsu Buffaloes (1986)
St. Louis Cardinals (1987)
Green signed with several other MLB franchises but never got to the majors with those clubs, including the Brewers, the Braves and the Rangers. After the 1991 season he ended his career in professional baseball.
