Sports teams bring fans tears of joy and sorrow. The Giants have given Zach Green both.
As a Sacramento native, Green grew up watching the likes of Barry Bonds, Rich Aurilia and J.T. Snow. He vividly still remembers Bonds' chase to be the home run king in 2001, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten one year later when the Giants fell to the Angels in the 2002 World Series.
"I was a little guy, but that was probably my first time experiencing heartbreak as a sports fan when they lost to Anaheim," Green said Tuesday on 95.7 The Game.
Fast forward 17 years and Green's tears are now those of joy. The third baseman made his major-league debut Sunday for the team he grew up rooting for and went 2-for-3 with a RBI double in the Giants' 3-2 win over the Mets.
"It's honestly been nothing short of a dream," Green said.
His favorite part of the journey thus far might be a bit of a surprise, though.
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"I've really enjoyed competing," Green said. "I've really enjoyed competing for a possibility and now the actuality of competing for the team I grew up rooting for. That's probably my favorite part."
Green earned his way up to the big leagues with a huge season in Triple-A for the Sacramento River Cats. He hit .302 with 23 home runs and a 1.099 OPS over 64 games.
Upon his arrival, Green says the whole team was "great" to him in the locker room. His first meeting with manager Bruce Bochy was one he'll never forget and he made sure to tell the skipper he's ready to go.
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"It was good. It was short and sweet," Green said on meeting Bochy. "He told me I was in there at third base and asked me if I was ready to rock and roll and I said, 'Of course I'm ready to rock and roll.'"
He proved he was with base hits in his first two at-bats in the bigs. Green could be up and down between the majors and minors or he could be here to stay. Either way, he's already accomplished a goal as a Giant that most can only dream of.
