This one was pretty sad. I started watching baseball in 1991. One of the mainstays of the team at that point was Mike Greenwell. He instantly became one of my favorite players, behind the big stars like Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens. He continued with the team for several years and while he was not a big star, his status as the elder statesman of the lineup was a reason that he remained a favorite player. He was an important player from my early years as a Red Sox fan.
Greenwell was with the team from 1985 through the 1996 season. He spent his entire Major League career with the Red Sox. He did attempt to play in Japan in 1997 and tried a comeback in the Majors, but was unsuccessful. Greenwell was a two-time All Star (1988 and 1989) and won a Silver Slugger (1988). His best season was in 1988 when he hit .325/.416/.531 with 22 home runs, 119 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He finished second in the MVP vote to Jose Canseco. He was never quite that good again, but he did finish with a line of .303/.368/.463 with 1,400 hits, 130 home runs and 726 RBIs. After his career, he went into local politics a little bit. He struggled with cancer recently, ultimately losing that battle last week.
My condolences go out to his family.
He was a good one. He was a worthy successor to the Williams-Yaz-Rice line of great left fielders. That card is one of my all-time favorites.
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