Daughter of Dodgers scout killed in Tucson shooting
The 9-year-old daughter of Dodgers scout John Green was among the six people killed in the Saturday shooting in which Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically injured.
Christina Taylor Green had just been elected to her elementary school student council and had attended Saturday's meeting so she could meet Giffords.
"She was a good speaker," John Green told the Arizona Star. "I could have easily seen her as a politician."
She was the granddaughter of Dallas Green, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1980 World Series championship.
She was a second baseman on her Little League team -- the only girl on the team, according to the Star. She also enjoyed dance and gymnastics and loved animals.
Dodgers owner Frank McCourt issued the following statement on Saturday night:
"We lost a member of the Dodgers family today. The entire Dodgers organization is mourning the death of John's daughter Christina and will do everything we can to support John, his wife Roxana and their son Dallas in the aftermath of this senseless tragedy. I spoke with John earlier today and expressed condolences on behalf of the entire Dodgers organization."
-- Bill Shaikin
Photo: Greg Segalini holds a photo of his niece, Christina Taylor Green, and his sister, Roxanna Green. Credit: Associated Press / Mark Henle -- Arizona Republic
How very sad. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Posted by: Robair | 01/09/2011 at 05:02 AM
Thoughts and prayers with the Green family and all others touched by this tragedy.
Posted by: alanw19 | 01/09/2011 at 05:12 AM
What a tragedy...my condolences to all of the victims and their families!
Posted by: Joe the Plumber | 01/09/2011 at 06:23 AM
Our family sends you condolences, and prayers. Through this awful, awful tragedy try to remember that all angels sit w/ the lord. Christina was just a baby angel but the small ones sit closest to jesus. We keep your family in our hearts and prayers.
Posted by: Lisa Scatto, and family | 01/09/2011 at 06:44 AM
I don't know what's more sad. The death of a 9yo girl, or that the LA Times somehow managed to turned the death of a 9yo girl into a story about the Dodgers.
Posted by: Jeezus | 01/09/2011 at 06:52 AM
My thoughts and prayers are with Christina's family and friends.
Posted by: Cindy Harper | 01/09/2011 at 06:58 AM
By all accounts we lost a very special little ball player yesterday.
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RIP Christina.
Posted by: Christina Fan | 01/09/2011 at 07:09 AM
This is so sad, a poor innocent girls life taken away in the face of politics. Seriously people this has got to stop! My heart and prayers go out to the family of this young one.
Posted by: Sal | 01/09/2011 at 07:31 AM
part of tha Dodger's family.. sounds like Elite - Fascism to me, also notice No mention of the other (regular class citizens) who got killed, who they were ect.. guess tha other three don't matter.. they were common class people, didn't belong to the Elite...
Posted by: Hector Gonzales | 01/09/2011 at 08:03 AM
Hector: The main Times story on the shooting, linked in the first paragraph of this blog item, contains information about all the victims.
Posted by: Bill Shaikin | 01/09/2011 at 08:24 AM
My thoughts are with this family; I was watching this unfold and said to myself I used to shop there. And, you never know when this could be you/me. Thank goodness this young soul spent her last pursuing something she was interested in doing for her life; she had that understanding at such a young age.
Her parents must have been special.
Bless you.
Posted by: whitneymuse | 01/09/2011 at 08:25 AM
Hector Gonzales: A nine year old girl was killed. She was connected to the Dodgers and baseball. That's what this article is about. There is nothing elitist about this. People like you are the ones poisoning this country. GO AWAY! And take your paranoid, bitter cohorts with you. We don't need anymore innocents being killed.
Posted by: phil | 01/09/2011 at 09:07 AM
My condolences to all those that were affected by this senseless tragedy.
Posted by: OldBrooklynFan | 01/09/2011 at 10:18 AM
Hey... I know this guy was crazy... and perhaps in his mind he might even feel he has some kind of a legitimate complaint against this Congresswoman.... but what in God's name could any 9 year old girl have done to deserve this??? Don't anyone even try to tell me this guy was just shooting "blind" and didn't mean to hit this little girl. Don't anyone even try to give this guy some kind of "mental infirmity" excuse. When he fired that gun at this innocent child he knew damn well that she was just that... an innocent little girl. He killed her anyway. I can hardly wait to see what slime ball "he's entitled to the best defense and I'm it" attorney takes this case. As far as I'm concerned this guy is entitled to the exact same chance to avoid the death penalty that he gave little Christina Green.
Posted by: Tom Thompson | 01/09/2011 at 11:18 AM
having lost my own beautiful daughter, my heart is breaking for the green family.. what a terrible lost for us as a nation and as families. my family and i will pray for Gods grace tocarry you through the hard times. posted by 01/09/2011 at 0222pm
Posted by: brenda bennett | 01/09/2011 at 11:40 AM
When did "common sense" leave the building---and this country--- (i.e. Hector Gonzales' blog entry above) for nonsensical whining and vitriol about anything and everything?
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God bless Chrsitina and her family---who just happen to be connected to the Dodgers and is documented in Bill Shaikin's informative story.
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Thank you, Bill.
Posted by: Christina Fan | 01/09/2011 at 03:06 PM
Hector needs to get a life.
Posted by: Tripod | 01/09/2011 at 08:21 PM
Dear John, Roxana, and Dallas.
I may never fully understand what you are going through at this moment, and all I can do is offer your family mere support in oral form. To lose someone who you cared for since birth, to have to bury your child because of someone else's actions, is saddening and more so, a tragedy in and of itself. No parent wants to lose their child, and I'm sure no one would ever wish it upon someone else. I was always taught as a child that as we move upon in life, we lose those that we care about most, and although we may be distant in miles and time and touch to those which are no longer with us, to know that heaven's gates opened for her, and accepted her amongst the angels. She was so young, and yet, she touched so many lives. With her loss, although inhumane in the act of itself, we all understand your solemn grief. I wish to offer you my condolences during this time, and hope and pray for you that you may one day find comfort in her memories, and less in this tragedy which occurred.
Last Goodbyes
"To heaven's gate I shall one day go
When I shall arrive, that answer I shall never truly know
From my birth to my passing, to and fro your eternal sorrow
May I bring joy to you, for one day, my absence will be hard to swallow
I may be too young, old, or necessary of rest
But hold onto memories of me
From when I was at my best
Be neither sad nor teary, for I left this earth fully relieved
For God's Kingdom opened their pearly gates, and made plenty of room for me
I will look onto you and always have you in my heart
For you gave me meaning and purpose
And you did it from the start
Although tears of joy may be dripping down my face
Know that I wish to hug you, and hold you and feel your warm embrace
I met my maker, I am at peace with my soul
Know that I shall always love you
No matter where you may go
I am with you, In your heart, for you gave me comfort
Know that
Ill always find my rightful place
For you, my words I hope bring you to a calming slumber.
I know that this poem does not fully represent everything that has happened, but I wrote it just for your family. I hope that someday, you may read it, and find comfort in it.
Thank You for your time, and I will pray for you, and keep you in my heart.
From The Andrade Family
Posted by: West Andrade | 01/10/2011 at 02:25 AM
I am so sorry. It seems so unfair.
Posted by: MS | 01/10/2011 at 06:17 AM
This life-long Cubs fan wants to offer his condolences to Dallas Green and his family. A wonderful little life was ended too soon.
Posted by: Ed Cabot | 01/10/2011 at 09:11 AM
More terrible murders because the culture allows anyone to play with dangerous toys, designed only to kill, in public.
In this gun nut culture, toys trump lives.
It will not stop until this uncaring society begins to get that lives trump toys.
Posted by: Native Angeleno | 01/10/2011 at 11:01 AM
My condolences and prayers are with all the families impacted by this tragedy, but especially with my former neighbors the Greens.
Neighbors in the loosest of senses, because where we lived in rural PA, "two houses over" was a couple miles. But I remember Dallas Green's house, the next one on my bus route. And I vaguely remember two kids getting on and off at the stop before mine.
One of those two, a boy and a girl, was almost certainly John Green. In which case, he's one of two kids who helped *me* when I was seven, and our bus dumped us off near their house and expected me to walk two miles home during the blizzard of '78. They took me in and called my Mom.
John, that day and this day are in no way connected, and you won't remember me....but thank you. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. You would be neighbors even without this most coincidental of connections, because we are all neighbors at times like this, and we hate to see neighbors hurting. But it seems all the more poignant to me that you may well have saved a seven-year-old girl when you were just a kid...and now this.
I pray for Christina. I think of the snowdrops and crocuses coming up soon in West Grove where she was born and we grew up, and snow geese covering the fields around Dallas Green's house. May she be in a place even more beautiful than that country where we were all those years ago.
Posted by: Blueeyedgal | 01/10/2011 at 11:40 AM
We are so sad for your family I cryed my paryers go out to you and your family
Posted by: Graciela | 01/10/2011 at 02:08 PM
To the Green Family, John and Roxanna and young Dallas and grandparents Dallas and Sylvia,
Our deepest sympathy for your loss. Christina's story has moved me deeply and so I wrote this poem.
CHRISTINA TAYLOR GREEN
An angel on earth had been called by Our Father,
To join her loved ones who had gone before her,
They stood on the top of the winding stairs,
With joined hands, singing gently, prayerful phrases.
As she climbed the winding heavenly stairs,
On a backdrop of sky blue and fleecy white laces,
Choirs of angels suspended on air, some trumpets on hand
Softly singing Alleluia, an angel had joined them.
Her name was Christina, her earthly short life,
Senselessly snuffed out, from loved ones, wrested,
Her parents, brother , grandparents,and friends,
No longer will they see her nor feel her warmth.
Born on the same day as our nation suffered ,
September Eleven, Two Thousand and One,
Planes were used to ram through the buildings
Only nine years ago, a sad day,quite unforgetable.
As remarkable Christina grew to be nine,
Full of promise she was, with talents to boot,
She was the only girl among boys,
In their baseball Little League team.
She became a young girl with a versatile style,
She looked forward to learn and play her guitar,
Recently elected council member by her class,
A patriotic American, she loved to wear
Red White and Blue, Our National Color.
Amidst the tragedy of the day she was born,
She brought a renewed message of hope,
Though her life was awfully brief, she knew what she wanted,
Alas mortally wounded by such a deranged man, with a grudge.
The powerful message I fully felt and heard
From Christina's family, deeply hurt and grieving,
None of anger, nary a word nor phrase of blame
But strong in their Faith, Love, Hope,and Joy,
From the voice of her mother and the tears of her Dad,
Her grieving granparents were full of prideful love,
Resilient in their grief, expressing gratitude,
With Faith,knowing their Christina is now An Angelin Heaven.
Amy Marley,
San Bruno, CA
Posted by: Amy C. Marley | 01/10/2011 at 09:38 PM
Let's pay tribute to little Christina Taylor Green on Opening Day, okay? From an SF Giants fan.
Posted by: sfgiantsfan | 01/12/2011 at 01:58 PM
It breaks my heart when this happens. It tears me up. How could a murderer do that to someone who makes a big difference in life by doing remarkable things? My deepest sympathies goes out to Christina and her family and friends. The other victims, also, are in my prayers.
Posted by: BrewersFan12 | 01/15/2011 at 01:05 AM