Green recalls interview moments with Hoffman

SAN DIEGO -- When Andy Green sat down for his first interview for the managerial opening with the Padres earlier this month, he did not quite know what to expect.

But it is safe to say Green, who was introduced Thursday as the Padres manager, sure wasn't expecting to see a (likely) future Hall of Famer sitting across from him in Padres special assistant and former closer Trevor Hoffman.

"When you have an opportunity to sit down and talk to legends like that … and become part of the organization, it's a dream come true with me," Green said.

Hoffman and another former Padre, Mark Loretta, are both special assistants with the team and were part of the baseball operations staff that sat in on and tossed questions to candidates like Green during the managerial search.

To be sure, general manager A.J. Preller headed the effort, but he wasn't the lone person in the room peppering candidates with questions.

"When the process started two and half weeks ago, it was a get-to-know-you. I was immediately impressed with the process, because A.J. brought in everyone from baseball ops to talk to us," Green said.

Green, who played parts of three seasons with the D-backs (2004-2006) and then part of 2009 with the Mets, recalled two personal memories involving Hoffman.

"As a rookie in 2004, I was just in the big leagues, we were playing here in Petco, the inaugural season, and I had a veteran tap me on the shoulder in the top of the ninth inning and say to me, 'You've got to stand up and see this,'" Green said. "I watched the bullpen door swing open and hear 'Hells Bells' play and I saw that man [Hoffman] come out of the bullpen and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It absolutely blew me away."

Another memory Green had was watching Hoffman do his early work when the Padres were at Chase Field in Arizona to face the D-backs.

"I go out for early work at 2 o'clock and ... it's 120 degree weather and I'm watching Trevor run foul poles," Green said. "[He's] staying true to his routine, passionately doing what he feels he needs to do to get ready to play."

In all, Green said that he was blown away after talking baseball and the Padres job with Preller and his staff, and also by the discussion he had during his second interview with executive chairman Ron Fowler, team president Mike Dee and investor Peter Seidler.

"A lot of people aren't privileged enough to have the opportunity to meet men like that, whose passion literally drips from their lips as they talk about having this city experience their first-ever world championship," Green said.

"They are fully committed to giving this organization everything it can possibly do to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way."