Greene catches on in Las Vegas

Victoria Sun

Tuesday, April 9, 2002 | 10:09 a.m.

The pitchers lobbied for him.

He made his own case behind the plate and with a strong bat.

But management didn't listen and apparently didn't care.

So Todd Greene is now a catcher for the Las Vegas 51s, not for baseball royalty, the New York Yankees.

Still, the gracious and gregarious Greene isn't complaining about his latest baseball stop because he knows his ticket back to the big leagues won't be punched by his mouth.

"I've learned a long time ago, there are so many guys that think you have to wait to get back to the big leagues," said Greene, who blasted a pair of two-run homers in the 51s' 8-5 victory Monday night over the Edmonton Trappers at Cashman Field. "You don't wait. You work hard.

"None of us wants to be here, but this is where we are. If you've got to play in triple-A, you want to be on a winning team and be with good guys. That's what we have here."

By being an everyday catcher, the 30-year-old Greene hopes to rid himself of the utility and backup roles that have stuck since he had shoulder surgery in 1997 and '98.

Greene signed with the Dodgers days after he was released by the Yankees at the end of what he called the "best spring training of my career."

In spring training games, he went 11-for-25 with four home runs.

"I caught great," Greene said. "I had all the pitchers on the Yankees' staff go to bat for me.

"They told (manager) Joe Torre and (pitching coach) Mel Stottlemyre that they wanted me to be the backup. That they felt I could run the team if something happened to Jorge (Posada).

"There was nothing more I could have done to make a ballclub."

The Yankees elected to keep Alberto Castillo.

"They wanted a guy who they felt was a catch-and-throw guy, somebody who can throw like Pudge (Ivan Rodriguez) and there are only a few of those available," Greene said. "I had a great time there, I don't regret anything. I respect their decision."

Greene was drafted out of Georgia Southern by Anaheim in 1993.

Once he was rehabilitated following his second arm surgery, the Angels played him at first base, in the outfield and as a designated hitter. But after spring training of 2000, they released him with no warning.

The Toronto Blue Jays signed him to a minor league contract in April and called him up for 29 games, but he still wasn't used at catcher.

At the end of spring training 2001, the Blue Jays released him and he joined the Yankees, where he played at his natural position, as Posada's back-up.

He hit .252 with six homers and 17 RBIs at triple-A Columbus before being promoted. With the Yankees he hit .208 with one homer and 11 RBIs in 35 games.

The highlight of Greene's career was playing in game six of the World Series against the eventual champion Arizona Diamondbacks. He was 1-for-2 with a double off Randy Johnson.

"This year, I feel better than I did last year," Greene said. "It's important I stay healthy to get rid of the label that I can't catch every day. I'm just getting frustrated with the label thing."

If he was branded before, he won't be with the Dodgers.

Greene played three years under former Angels manager Terry Collins, now the minor league field coordinator for the Dodgers. And he was with the Angels when Bill Bavasi, the Dodgers' director of player development, was the farm director of the Angels and the general manager.