BOSTON (AP) \u2014 Mike Greenwell, an outfielder who played 12 seasons with the Boston Red Sox and finished second in the 1988 American League MVP voting, died Thursday, his wife said. He was 62.<\/p>\n
The Boston Globe reported in mid-August that Greenwell had medullary thyroid cancer. Tracy Greenwell told WINK, a radio station in Lee County, Florida, that her husband died in Boston.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith a heavy heart, I lost my best friend today,\u201d Tracy Greenwell wrote on social media. \u201cIt was Mike\u2019s time to be an angel. At 10:30 a.m. in Boston\u2019s General Hospital. We are forever grateful for the life he has given us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee County Manager Bruce Harner also announced Greenwell\u2019s death on the county government\u2019s social media account. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Greenwell to the county commission in 2022, and he was re-elected to the post in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Commissioner Mike Greenwell, a lifelong Lee County resident,\u201d the post read. \u201cHe was a strong advocate for the people and businesses of Lee County and will be remembered for seeking meaningful solutions to the challenges his community faced. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and all who were touched by his leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Gator\u201d was better known for his baseball exploits than his political career.<\/p>\n
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Greenwell spent most of his childhood in Florida and played baseball and football at North Fort Myers High School.<\/p>\n
Greenwell played his entire major league career for Boston, making two All-Star appearances, winning the 1988 Silver Slugger Award and finishing second in that year\u2019s MVP voting to Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco. Greenwell was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008.<\/p>\n
He made his big league debut in 1985 and appeared in 31 games on the 1986 American League champions, who lost 4-3 to the New York Mets in a World Series filled with heartbreak for the Red Sox.<\/p>\n
In 1987, Greenwell emerged as Boston\u2019s full-time left fielder, taking over the position previously occupied by three MVPs \u2014 Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice \u2014 who would later become Hall of Famers.<\/p>\n
Although he fell short of those luminaries, the left-handed-hitting Greenwell had a solid career, finishing with a lifetime batting average of .303, 130 home runs, 726 RBIs and 80 stolen bases.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a great teammate and an even better person,\u201d right-handed pitcher Bob Stanley said. \u201cHe had big shoes to fill in left field, and he did a damn good job. He played hard and never forgot where he came from \u2014 Fort Myers. Just a great guy. We\u2019ll all miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n
His best season came in 1988, when he batted .325 with 22 homers, 119 RBIs and 16 stolen bases and hit for the cycle in a September game. Greenwell also delivered a then-AL record 23 game-winning RBIs, a statistic that is no longer recognized by Major League Baseball, and he drove in all of Boston\u2019s runs in a late-season 9-6 victory over Seattle.<\/p>\n
That put him in the MVP mix. When Canseco later acknowledged he was using steroids that season, Greenwell asked, \u201cWhere\u2019s my MVP?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greenwell earned his nickname for a spring training incident in which he captured an alligator, taped its mouth shut and put it in a teammate\u2019s locker in Florida.<\/p>\n
He played an abbreviated final season in Japan, retiring suddenly after just seven games because of a fractured right foot he suffered on a foul ball.<\/p>\n
After his playing career, Greenwell moved into auto racing. He began competing in late-model stock cars in 2000 and made two starts in NASCAR\u2019s Truck Series in 2006. He retired in 2010.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always wanted to be around him \u2014 I truly enjoyed my time with him,\u201d former Boston outfielder Dwight Evans said. \u201cHe was a gamer in every sense of the word, and he will be deeply missed.\u201d <\/p>\n
Greenwell and his wife had two sons, Bo and Garrett.<\/p>\n
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