San Francisco Earthquakes: An Interview with Lawrence Green

In our continuing interview series with the ABL ownership, we shift from the outhouse to the penthouse.   We take a closer look at the first team to 50 wins to find an owner who may be less confident that you would think.  What has made the 51-19 Earthquakes so successful?  Did they realize on draft day they had put together such a strong contender?  And do the 'Quakes feel their 11.5 game lead is safe?  The answers follow....

Q:  The Earthquakes ran up a 12-game winning streak to start this month and have gone 16-1 in their last 17 games.  What has worked so well in June to allow your team to take things to another level?

A:  My team has been healthy and some of my opponents have had injury problems.  For instance, there is no way I would have swept the Maple Marauders if they were at full strength.  As it was, I barely won an 18 inning game against them.

Q:  Looking back at your first three draft picks, Tom Klein, Gary Hunter, and Artie Sanders have all been sensational.  But you don’t start 51-19 without having some stars who hail from the later rounds.  Tell us about a couple of players who were not so highly drafted but have helped key the early success for your team.

A:  Ray Lester, starting pitcher from the 8th round, Dennis Inman, middle reliever from the 11th round, and Ramon Rivera, closer from the 12th round.  Lester has been an "ace" and Inman and Rivera have been very solid as setup and closer. Lester has been one of the best pitchers in the game but he is 36 years old, which explains why I was able to get him so late.  I've gone 12-5 in one-run games, so my bullpen has been important.

Q:  If there is one place your team is struggling, it would be your leadoff hitter Jose Sanchez.  He is batting just .181 on the year.  Talk about your commitment and faith in Sanchez, and who might be the leadoff man for this team if and when a change is needed.

A:  I have little faith or commitment to Sanchez for this year.  Ideally, I would like to have Tom Klein leadoff. Sanchez is going to need to start doing something soon or he will be back in Antioch.  If Sanchez can start getting on base, he has great speed.

Q.  Your payroll ranks just 15^th in the ABL at about 74 million.  When you were drafting your team, were you drafting with a win-now approach, a future building approach, or more of a balanced approach?  And did you realize after the draft that you had something special?

A:  I was trying to utilize a balanced approach in the draft, but also took what the draft gave me, so I ended up with some older players… late 20's to early 30's.  Of course, I would rather have a team of 23-27 year old players.  My main goal was to draft strong up the middle, at catcher, second base, shortstop and center field.  I definitely got who I wanted at catcher and centerfield, but didn't quite get it done in the middle infield, although I do have some decent second base prospects.  Of course, I wanted to get some good starters, but the young ones went very fast.

Q:  You just signed Wayne Massingham to a multi-year extension, despite the fact that he has not been happy with his role on the team.  Tell us about this decision, and what your expectations are for Massingham.

A:  Massingham has been a valuable backup and has been performing well.  His natural position is third base, but I have been giving him some time at shortstop, which is a weak area for me.  I wanted to keep him for insurance sake and I thought he wasn't too expensive, particularly since the 3rd year is a team option.

Q:  Your Antioch Coal Miners of Triple A are also in 1^st place in their division.  Tell us about a couple of players that we may see in an Earthquakes uniform very soon.

A:  I think you will see left-handed pitcher Hector Figueroa up and down all year as a starter.  He has been great in AAA but has struggled in the ABL.  You will definitely see Ray Walton, a speedy center fielder who has a good OBP and great defense.

Q:  If you had to choose today, who would be your choice as Team MVP, and why?

A:  My vote is for catcher Artie Sanders.  He is one of the top offensive and defensive catchers in the game and is a clubhouse leader.

Q:  You just completed a 4-game sweep of the Maple Marauders to take a lead of 11.5 games in the Billy Martin Division.  Do you feel like you have the division pretty much in your control now?

A:  No.  While I had some injuries in April and May, I haven't had any long-term devastating injuries.  A couple of those type of injuries could really change things.  I don't have great depth at starting pitcher, so injuries at that position could be difficult to overcome.

Q:  After a 51-19 start, will anything less than an ABL Championship be satisfactory?

A:  There are so many really good teams in this league, starting in my own division with Maple.  At this point, I am just hoping to be able to win my division and get into the post-season with reasonable health.  But with two 36 year-old pitchers in my starting rotation, it is unlikely that I will be as good next year, so this might be my best chance.