When he joined the Jays' top farm club in Syracuse, Greene felt lost. He knew no one. A gregarious sort, he missed the camaraderie of the Angels' clubhouse and the comfort of knowing his role in the team's social dynamic. I wasn't playing every day, but I was playing enough to have credibility with the other players. At the same time, I'm a guy who likes to keep things loose.
Baseball is a very negative game.
I think you have to pat guys on the butt once in a while to keep them from getting down on themselves. It was not a role he could step into at Syracuse. I knew I could hit. It was a mental thing. At first he was the SkyChiefs' DH, then, on orders from Toronto, he became the regular left fielder.