- Mike Greenwell
-
Mike Greenwell Left fielder Born: July 18, 1963
Louisville, KentuckyBatted: Left Threw: Right MLB debut September 5, 1985 for the Boston Red Sox Last MLB appearance September 28, 1996 for the Boston Red Sox Career statistics Batting average .303 Home runs 130 Runs batted in 726 Teams Career highlights and awards - 2× All Star selection (1988, 1989)
- Silver Slugger Award winner (1988)
Michael Lewis Greenwell (born July 18, 1963 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire MLB career with the Boston Red Sox (1985–1996). He briefly played a few games for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan (1997), before retiring. Greenwell was nicknamed "The Gator." He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.[1] He was voted fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 1987. Greenwell was a leading contender for the AL MVP in 1988, but he lost out to José Canseco, who pulled off the first 40 home run, 40 stolen base season in baseball history. Greenwell hit .325 with 22 HR and 119 RBI in 1988, setting career highs in all three categories.
Contents
Early life
Mike Greenwell attended North Fort Myers High School in Florida.
Baseball career
He was drafted in the third round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft by the Red Sox, and was signed by June 9, 1982.[2] Throughout his Red Sox career, Greenwell suffered under the weight of lofty expectations for a Boston left fielder, as since 1940 the position had been occupied by Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice – all MVP winners, regular triple crown candidates, and eventual members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Although his play rarely reached the level of his predecessors, he provided a solid and reliable presence in the team's lineup for several seasons. Well respected, he also served as the team's player representative for a time.[3]
He signed with the Japanese Hanshin Tigers for about 2.5 million dollars in 1997. His career in the major leagues heightened expectations from Japanese fans, but Greenwell left the team's spring training camp and returned to the United States, stating that he had an injury. He did not return to Japan until late April. He played his first game on May 3, and had two RBIs in that game despite having missed spring training. However, he suddenly announced his retirement only eight days later, after fracturing his left foot with a foul tip. He left Japan on May 16, and never returned again.
After baseball
Later life
Greenwell owns a 890-acre (3.6 km2) ranch in Alva, Florida, on which he grows fruits and vegetables. He runs an amusement park in Cape Coral, Florida called "Mike Greenwell's", which opened in February 1992.[4] He also coached both of his sons, Bo and Garrett.[5][6]
Racing career
Upon his retirement from baseball, Greenwell began driving late-model stock cars. In May 2006 he made his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway for Green Light Racing, starting 20th and finishing 26th. In 2010, Greenwell had given up racing.[7]
"The Gator"
Greenwell received his nickname during spring training in Winter Haven. He had captured an alligator, taped its mouth shut, and put it in Ellis Burks's locker.[8]
Personal life
Greenwell has a wife, Tracy, who is a nurse, and he also has two sons. Bo, 21, currently plays outfield for the low single A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, the Lake County Captains.[9] Garrett, 18, is a first baseman who dreams of playing for the Red Sox.[10]
Career statistics
These are his regular season MLB career statistics (He only played for the Red Sox).
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG TB SH HBP 1269 4623 657 1400 275 38 130 726 80 43 460 364 .303 .368 .463 2141 3 39 He also holds the American League record for most game-winning RBIs in a single season, with 23 in 1988.[11] This record is safer than most because the game-winning RBI has since been discontinued as an official statistic.
References
- ^ http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/historical/mlb_player_locator_results.jsp?playerLocator=greenwell
- ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/greenmi01.shtml
- ^ Grossfeld, Stan (June 29, 2010). "Bo knows". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/06/29/ex_red_sox_mike_greenwells_son_bo_knows_the_challenges/?page=3.
- ^ http://www.greenwellsfamilyfunpark.com/
- ^ http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/98/dylan/mgart.html
- ^ Grossfeld, Stan (June 29, 2010). "Bo knows". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/06/29/ex_red_sox_mike_greenwells_son_bo_knows_the_challenges/.
- ^ Grossfeld, Stan (June 29, 2010). "Bo knows". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/06/29/ex_red_sox_mike_greenwells_son_bo_knows_the_challenges/.
- ^ Grossfeld, Stan (June 29, 2010). "Bo knows". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/06/29/ex_red_sox_mike_greenwells_son_bo_knows_the_challenges/.
- ^ Grossfeld, Stan (June 29, 2010). "Bo knows". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/06/29/ex_red_sox_mike_greenwells_son_bo_knows_the_challenges/.
- ^ Grossfeld, Stan (June 29, 2010). "Bo knows". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2010/06/29/ex_red_sox_mike_greenwells_son_bo_knows_the_challenges/.
- ^ "Game Winning Runs Batted In Records". Baseball Almanac. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_gwrbi1.shtml. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- MLB historical statistics
- Mike Greenwell's Profile on SawxHeads.com
- Baseball Library
- Nascar website
- Family Fun Park Website
Categories:- American racecar drivers
- American League All-Stars
- Boston Red Sox players
- Hanshin Tigers players
- Pawtucket Red Sox players
- Winston-Salem Spirits players
- Elmira Pioneers players
- Major League Baseball left fielders
- Baseball players from Kentucky
- NASCAR drivers
- People from Fort Myers, Florida
- American expatriate baseball players in Japan
- People from Louisville, Kentucky
- 1963 births
- Living people
- Cincinnati Reds coaches
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