Former major leaguer and red sox hall of famer Mike Greenwell He died at the age of 62, according to multiple sources. In August, he was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer, The Boston Globe’s Emma Healy reports.
Greenwell was born in Kentucky but grew up in Florida. In the latter state, he performed some alligator wrestling, which eventually led to his nickname “The Crocodile.” He was drafted by the Red Sox in 1982 and spent his entire career with the team except for his final trip to Japan. He was called up to the majors in 1985 with just one cup of coffee, then another after the season.
Although he played only 31 regular season games in 1986, he was a part of Boston’s playoff run. The Red Sox defeated the Angels in the ALCS, sending them to the World Series against the Mets, although they ultimately lost in seven games. That year, Greenwell made six postseason appearances, hitting a hit five times, driving in a walk-off once and striking out twice.
He finally got a more serious debut in 1987, when he played in 125 games while playing corner outfield. He hit 19 home runs and hit .328/.386/.570. He finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting, behind Mark McGwire, Kevin Setzer and Matt Knox.
In 1988, he did even better. He became the club’s everyday left fielder, hitting .325/.416/.531 while hitting 22 home runs and stealing 16 bases. He was selected to the All-Star team for the first time. He finished second in American League MVP voting, trailing only Jose Cansecowho just designed the first 40/40 season. The Red Sox won the AL East that year, but Canseco and the Athletics eliminated them from the AL East. When it was revealed that Canseco had used steroids during his career, Greenwell expressed disappointment in the MVP vote.
That year was essentially Greenwell’s prime, but he remained a solid player for the Red Sox for many years after that. When healthy, he typically hits 10-15 home runs, steals nearly as many, and has a batting average close to .300.
Throughout the 1990s, injuries hampered his performance and playing time. During the 1997 season, he signed with the Nippon Professional Baseball Hanshin Tigers, but only played seven games before he was injured again and retired permanently.
He appeared in 1,269 regular season games for the Red Sox and reached base 5,166 times. He had 1,400 hits, including 275 doubles, 38 triples and 130 home runs. He scored 657 runs and scored 726 runs. He stole 80 bases. His career batting line is .303/.368/.463. He was a two-time All-Star and won the Silver Slugger Award.
In his post-retirement days, he did some minor league coaching, competed in some stock car racing, ran a construction company and an amusement park, and served as a county commissioner in Florida. We at MLB Trade Rumors join the rest of the baseball community in extending our condolences to Greenwell’s family, friends, loved ones and fans.
