Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane addresses the crowd gathered for Mike Greenwell\u2019s Celebration of Life Saturday. Ruane is flanked (from left) by fellow Commissioners Cecil Pendergrass and Brian Hamman, former Commissioner Ray Sandelli and current Commissioner David Mulicka.<\/p>\n
Photo by CASEY BRADLEY GENT<\/p>\n
Friends, family and hundreds of community members gathered at JetBlue Stadium Saturday afternoon \u2014 many wearing Boston Red Sox jerseys \u2014 to celebrate the life of Mike Greenwell, baseball hero turned Lee County Commissioner. <\/p>\n
Danielle Justice, a former pastor and Greenwell\u2019s niece, officiated Saturday\u2019s Celebration of Life for the North Fort Myers High School graduate who went on the spend 12 years in the Major League as a left fielder, all of them with the Red Sox where he was known as Gator Mike.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sheer number of people here speaks volumes,\u201d Justice began. \u201cHe gave people his time. He gave people his heart. He gave people his example.\u201d <\/p>\n
Greenwell, 62, a Red Sox Hall of Famer, died Oct. 9 following a battle with thyroid cancer.<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s service was open to the public, and nearly every part of the day\u2019s event was either a nod to Mike\u2019s life in baseball, or to his life as a dad and public servant. <\/p>\n
Greenwell and his wife Tracy were together for 45 years. When Tracy and the family entered JetBlue Stadium, they symbolically entered from left field. Tracy entered the stadium first, accompanied by two of her grandsons, Brooks and Gage. Tracy was followed by the couple\u2019s sons, Bo and Garrett Greenwell. Bo\u2019s wife, Brittany, the couple\u2019s son, Brady, and Garrett\u2019s wife, Paige, and the couple\u2019s daughter, Paizlee. The two oldest grandsons, each holding one of Grandma Tracy\u2019s hands, jumped over the white chalk-line leading from home base to third base. This show of respect for the white chalk line seemed to simply be part of growing-up as a Greenwell.<\/p>\n
Following Justice\u2019s introduction, a collection of four current and one former Lee County commissioners spoke on the impact of Mike Greenwell and their collective leadership. Vice Chairman Cecil Pendergrass thanked the Greenwell family for sharing Mike with the community. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are better people because of him. We are better commissioners. We are a better Lee County,\u201d Pendergrass said. <\/p>\n
Commissioner Brian Hamman said that Mike Greenwell literally \u201clived every little boy\u2019s dream.\u201d He played with the Red Sox from 1985-to-1996 career with the Red Sox, Greenwell became a professional angler.<\/p>\n
Red Sox General Manager Shawn Smith also spoke. <\/p>\n
He said it was an honor to be there, and to celebrate Mike Greenwell\u2019s love and respect for the game of baseball. <\/p>\n
As a baseball player, Greenwell was the runner-up in the 1988 American League Most Valuable Player vote and was on the 1986 Red Sox team that faced the New York Mets in a thrilling seven-game World Series match which the Mets won. <\/p>\n
He batted over .300 for his career, a rare feat among hitters, ending his career with a .303 batting average. He was also one of the toughest players to strike out of his era. In six seasons, he ranked among the top 10 in most at-bats per strikeout amongst all major leaguers.<\/p>\n
After Greenwell retired from the Red Sox, he coached Little League baseball, and was a devoted high school football and baseball coach for Riverdale High School.<\/p>\n
Among the groups represented at Saturday\u2019s gathering were former athletes Greenwell coached, former employees of 31 Produce and even Greenwell\u2019s personal physician. Each attendee agreed that Mike and Tracy Greenwell made everyone who knew the couple feel like family.<\/p>\n
Before closing Saturday\u2019s Celebration of Life, Justice reminded the audience, \u201cThis community cheered for Mike long before Fenway ever did.\u201d <\/p>\n
Along the stadium corridors, North Fort Myers High School and Red Sox sports memorabilia lined several fences. In the collection of photographs on display, Mike Greenwell\u2019s smile appeared big and bright \u2014 much like the legacy he leaves behind with wife Tracy, their sons and grandchildren here in Lee County and beyond.<\/p>\n
After Greenwell returned to Southwest Florida, he opened and operated several local businesses including the old Mike Greenwell\u2019s Bat-A-Ball & Family Fun Park\u201d in Cape Coral and 31 Produce, a farmers market complete with U-pick field, country store and the popular Cracker Shack Cafe. <\/p>\n
Greenwell\u2019s political service began in 2022, after he was appointed the Lee County Commissioner for District 5 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Greenwell won a Republican Party primary a month later and then a special election that November to retain his seat and fill out the remainder of the seat\u2019s term. <\/p>\n
Greenwell was re-elected in 2024 to a new term in office and also served as a past chair of the county commissioners. <\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s Note: CJ Haddad contributed to this report.<\/p>\n