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Boston Red Sox: Ranking top 10 players from the 1980s

By Drew Athans

CHICAGO: Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox bats during an MLB game at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. Boggs played for the Boston Red Sox from 1982-1992. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
CHICAGO: Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox bats during an MLB game at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. Boggs played for the Boston Red Sox from 1982-1992. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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Mike Greenwell, Leftfielder for the Boston Red Sox swings at the ball during the Major League Baseball American League West game against the California Angels on 7 July 1993 at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels won the game 7 – 6. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Allsport/Getty Images)
Mike Greenwell, Leftfielder for the Boston Red Sox swings at the ball during the Major League Baseball American League West game against the California Angels on 7 July 1993 at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels won the game 7 – 6. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Allsport/Getty Images) /

Mike Greenwell

Mike Greenwell had the unfortunate burden of playing left field for the Red Sox as the next in line after Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and Jim Rice. While Greenwell broke the string of Hall of Famers playing the position which started in 1939 with Williams and ended when Rice retired in 1989, he was still a very good player for the Red Sox, with whom he spent his entire career from 1985-1996.

In the 1980s, Greenwell put up some excellent numbers, producing a .316 average, 73 home runs, and 388 RBI between 1985 and 1990. His 1988 season was superb, where he hit .325 with 22 home runs and 119 RBI. He finished runner-up to Jose Canseco for the American League MVP award with some thinking he should have won (although Canseco did put up monster numbers, albeit chemically assisted).

After Canseco admitted years later to using steroids during his career, Greenwell coming up short for the MVP stung a little bit more. However, even though he didn’t quite live up to the expectations he had in succeeding Rice in left field, Greenwell was a very good player for the 1980s Red Sox.

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