On Thursday, the Red Sox announced the passing of former outfielder and Red Sox Hall of Famer Mike Greenwell, 62, just less than two months after The Boston Globe reported he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Greenwell, known as "the Gator" by teammates and fans "for his brave habit of wrestling with alligators during his youth in Southwest Florida," spent all 12 seasons of his career in Boston, from a Sept. 5,1985 debut to his final game at Fenway (and against the Yankees) on Sept. 28, 1996. He moved on to a short-lived stint with Japan's Hanshin Tigers following his retirement from MLB.
He had a career .303 batting average and .831 OPS, 130 home runs, and 726 RBI with the Red Sox. He appeared in four postseasons with the team, including on the 1986 squad that went to the World Series.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Red Sox Hall of Famer Mike Greenwell.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 9, 2025
“The Gator” spent his entire career in a Red Sox uniform and was a beloved fixture of Fenway and Fort Myers. He gave so much to Lee County and Sox Nation.
We send our love to the Greenwell family. pic.twitter.com/WyA14dYu0E
Filling Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and Jim Rice's shoes as the Red Sox's everyday left fielder was no small task, but Greenwell became a fan favorite after his fully-fledged rookie season in 1987. His best years were mostly concentrated to three seasons, 1987-1989, but he still managed to put up some mightily productive years even as his career wound down.
Former Red Sox outfielder Mike Greenwell dies at 62 after a battle with thyroid cancer
Greenwell placed fourth in Rookie of the Year voting after his 1987 campaign (Mark McGwire eventually walked away with top honors), when he hit .328 with a .956 OPS and only struck out 40 times. His plate discipline would become a hallmark of his game, as he finished seven of his 12 seasons with more walks than strikeouts.
He earned his first of two All-Star nods the very next year, after hitting .345 with a 1.012 before the break, but with José Canseco as the American League's other All-Star left fielder, Greenwell was stuck in a reserve spot. He endured further disappointment at the end of that season, when he came in second to Canseco in MVP voting (and Canseco got 100% of the share of first-place votes). In 2005, after Canseco admitted to using PEDs, Greenwell asked, "Where's my MVP?" His Silver Slugger that year was at least some consolation, though.
He got his second and last All-Star nod in 1989 (once again in reserve, this time behind Bo Jackson).
The accolades trickled out after that, but Greenwell still only ever put up a single bum season fo the Red Sox in 1992, when he hit .233 with a .585 OPS in just 49 games, as he spent most of the year down with injuries.
Among his other accomplishments: he became the 17th Red Sox player to hit for the cycle on Sept. 14, 1988 and drove in all nine runs of a Red Sox win against the Mariners on Sept. 2, 1996 with a two-run homer, a go-ahead grand slam, a game-tying, two-run double, and finally what would be a game-winning single.
He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008 and will be missed dearly by Red Sox fans.