Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Greenwell died Thursday morning at Massachusetts General Hospital after battling a rare form of thyroid cancer. He was 62 years old.
Greenwell passed away at 10:30 a.m. on October 10, 2025, according to his wife Tracy Greenwell, who confirmed his death to WINK radio station in Lee County, Florida. The Boston Globe had reported in mid-August that Greenwell had been diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer, the rarest form of the disease.
Tracy Greenwell expressed her grief on social media, writing that she had lost her best friend and noting it was Mike’s time to be an angel. The couple’s son Bo Greenwell posted on Facebook that his father had endured a long year of pain and suffering while fighting cancer, and could now finally rest in peace.
Known by his nickname “The Gator,” Greenwell spent his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career with the Red Sox from 1985 to 1996. The organization expressed deep sadness at his passing, noting that he spent his entire career in a Red Sox uniform and was a beloved fixture of both Fenway Park and Fort Myers.
Greenwell was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but spent most of his childhood in Florida, playing baseball and football at North Fort Myers High School. The Red Sox selected him in the third round of the 1982 MLB Draft, and he made his big league debut in 1985 with an impressive 17-game cameo, batting .323 with four home runs in 34 plate appearances.
The left-handed hitter took over left field from Jim Rice in 1987, following in the footsteps of legendary Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and Rice who had previously occupied the position in front of Fenway Park’s Green Monster. Despite the enormous expectations, Greenwell proved worthy of the challenge.
His career year came in 1988, when he batted .325 with 22 home runs, 119 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. That season earned him his first All-Star selection, the Silver Slugger Award, and second place in American League MVP voting behind Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco. Greenwell also delivered a then-AL record 23 game-winning RBIs that year and hit for the cycle in a September 14 game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Former Red Sox pitcher Bob Stanley praised Greenwell as a great teammate and even better person, saying “He had big shoes to fill in left field, and he did a damn good job.” Stanley added that Greenwell played hard and never forgot his Fort Myers roots.
Greenwell earned his second All-Star selection in 1989 and was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008. Over his career, he compiled a .303 batting average with 130 home runs, 726 RBIs, and 80 stolen bases across 1,269 games. Remarkably, he walked 460 times compared to just 364 strikeouts over his 12-year career.
His nickname originated from a spring training incident where he captured an alligator, taped its mouth shut, and placed it in teammate Ellis Burks’ locker. Former Red Sox second baseman Marty Barrett remembered Greenwell as always laughing and an outstanding hitter who was fearless at the plate, standing closer than anyone Barrett had ever seen.
After retiring from baseball in 1996, Greenwell briefly played seven games for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan before retiring due to a fractured right foot suffered on a foul ball. He then transitioned to auto racing, competing in late-model stock cars beginning in 2000 and making two starts in NASCAR’s Truck Series in 2006 before retiring from racing in 2010.
Beyond sports, Greenwell served his community as a Lee County Commissioner in Florida since 2022, after being appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis. He was re-elected to the position in 2024. Lee County officials announced his death on social media, describing him as a strong advocate for the people and businesses of Lee County who will be remembered for seeking meaningful solutions to community challenges.
Greenwell is survived by his wife Tracy and their two sons, Bo and Garrett. Former Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans noted that Greenwell was deeply involved in the Fort Myers community and gave so much of himself to others, describing him as a gamer in every sense of the word who will be deeply missed.
