A Philly Fanatic Farewell
Chapter Eternal
Dallas Green was born in Newport, Delaware, in 1934. After graduating high school he enrolled at the University of Delaware where he was initiated into Delta Kappa Chapter. He also played as pitcher and right fielder for the Delware Fightin’ Blue Hens baseball team. During his junior year, he pitched to a 6-0 win-loss record and an 0.88 ERA. Following that he was scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies and was signed as an amateur free agent.
Green made his major league debut in 1960 with the Phillies, and over his professional playing career, he appeared on the roster for the Phillies, Washington Senators, and New York Mets. At the end of his playing career he had a 20-22 record and 4.26 ERA in 185 total games, starting 46 of those.
Following his time as a player, Green became a manger in the minor leagues with the Huron Phillies and then the Pulaski Phillies, in 1969 the team won the Appalachian League Championship. This led to Green joining the Phillies front office in 1970 and working with the Phillies’ farm system before becoming director of the team’s minor leagues operations in 1972.
In 1979, he replaced Danny Ozark as the Phillies’ manager. He quickly earned a reputation for his passion of the game which sometimes shined through in his explosive interactions with opponents, umpires, and his own players. His drive and determination as a manager led to the Phillies winning the World Series in 1980, the team’s first World Series title. In 1981, the Phillies made a second appearance in the World Series but came up short against the Montreal Expos.
In 1981, the Chicago Cubs hired Green away from Philadelphia, and he began his tenure as executive vice president and general manager. Green aggressively made roster maneuvers over the next several years. At the time these changes drew the ire of fans, but in 1984 the Cubs made their first postseason appearance since 1945. Shakeups with the Cubs front office continued until he was named team president. His time with the Cubs ended in 1987 but not before leaving a lasting legacy by being the driving force behind the installation of lights in Wrigley Field, rebuilding the team’s farm system, and developing star players like Greg Maddux, Rafael Palmeiro, and Jamie Moyer.
After his time in Chicago, Green worked for the New York Yankees and the New York Mets before hanging up his manager hat in 1996 with a managerial record of 454-478, a .487 winning percentage. “I express my thoughts. I’m a screamer, a yeller, and a cusser. I never hold back,” Green once said of his management style.
In February of 2017, Green was admitted to Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia due to kidney failure. He entered the Chapter Eternal on March 22, 2017 due to kidney failure and pneumonia. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sylvia, four children, and five grandchildren.