On Aug. 18, 2001, Shawn Green became the first left-handed batter in Los Angeles Dodgers franchise history to reach 100 RBI in a single season. Up to that point, the feat had only been accomplished in Brooklyn franchise history.
Green appropriately collected the 100th RBI with a solo home run against his former New York Mets. That was his only hit in a 5-4 loss at Dodger Stadium.
Green’s best performance of the season to that point was a three-home run, seven-RBI effort against the Montreal Expos just three days prior. For most that would represent a career-best game, but Green then slugged four home runs and had seven RBI in a 6-for-6 effort against the Milwaukee Brewers the following year.
He went on to finish the 2001 season with 125 RBI and 49 home runs, both of which were career highs over his 15 years in the Majors.
Green was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays in November 1999 and at the time signed to a six-year, $84 million contract extension. In his five seasons with the Dodgers, Green batted .280/.366/.510 with 183 doubles, 162 home runs, 509 RBI and appeared in 798 games.
Green, who had another 100-RBI season in 2002, was eventually joined in L.A. Dodgers history by fellow left-handed hitters J.D. Drew (100 RBI; 2006), Andre Ethier (106; 2009) and Adrian Gonzalez, who had 100 RBI in 2013 and 116 the following year.
Then in 2019, Cody Bellinger joined the group with 115 RBI. Bellinger additionally is on pace to surpass Green’s franchise record for most home runs in a single season.
Max Muncy nearly reached the benchmark as well, falling just short with 98 RBI last season. Muncy likely would have been another Dodgers left-handed hitter with at least 100 RBI in a single year had he not missed a brief stretch late in the season due to a fractured right wrist.
