Greenwell was drafted in the third round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft by the Red Sox, and was signed on June 9, 1982. 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. Greenwell was runner-up for the 1988 American League MVP Award to Jose Canseco of the Oakland Athletics; years later, Canseco's admission of steroid use led Greenwell to ask, "Where's my MVP?" On September 14, 1988, Greenwell hit for the cycle, becoming the 17th player to do so in Red Sox franchise history. On September 2, 1996, the Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 9–8 in 10 innings at the Kingdome, with Greenwell driving in all nine runs for the Sox, a record for most runs driven in by one player accounting for all of that team's runs in a single game. He also holds the American League record for most game-winning RBIs in a single season, with 23 in 1988; the game-winning RBI has since been discontinued as an official statistic. Greenwell was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008.
Career MLB statistics
"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' locker.
Greenwell signed with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball in 1997. His career in the major leagues heightened expectations from Japanese fans, but he left the team during spring training and returned to the United States; he had suffered a herniated disc when diving for a ball. He did not return to Japan until late April. He played his first game on May 3, and hit an RBItriple in that game despite having missed spring training. However, Greenwell suddenly announced his retirement after appearing in just seven games; he had fractured his right foot with a foul tip, and the injury would have prevented him from playing for at least four weeks.
Greenwell owns a ranch in Alva, Florida, on which he grows fruits and vegetables. He owned an amusement park in Cape Coral, Florida, called "Mike Greenwell's Bat-A-Ball & Family Fun Park", which opened in February 1992. He recently sold the park which is now known as Gator Mike's. Greenwell's wife Tracy is a nurse, and they have two sons, both of whom Greenwell coached. Bo was drafted as an outfielder in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB Draft; he spent a total of eight years in the minor leagues, in the farm systems of the Cleveland Indians and the Red Sox. First baseman Garrett started at Santa Fe Community College in 2011 before transferring to Oral Roberts University in 2013. Greenwell is the uncle of Joey Terdoslavich, who played for the Atlanta Braves.
