David Green, an outfielder for the World Series champion St. Louis Cards in 1982, has died. He was 61 years old.
Green had been hospitalized in suburban St. Louis after suffocating at home about a week ago and died of respiratory failure on Saturday, his family told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards confirmed the death Tuesday on Twitter.
Green signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978 at age 17. He was part of a December 1980 trade in which the Cardinals sent Rollie Fingers, Ted Simmons and Pete Vuckovich to the Brewers for Green, outfielder Sixto Lezcano and pitchers Dave LaPoint and Lary Sorensen.
Green hit .283 as a backup on the 1982 team that beat the Brewers in seven games in the World Series. He was traded to San Francisco after the 1984 season that brought Jack Clark to St. Louis. Clark was a key player on winning teams in 1985 and 1987.
After playing for the Giants in 1985, Green played in Japan and Mexico in 1986 before ending his major league career with 14 games for the Cards in 1987.
