Mike Greenwell, a Boston Red Sox All-Star and the runner-up for the 1987 American League MVP award, has died at 62 following his battle with cancer.
A veteran of 12 major league seasons and seven games in Japan, Greenwell had been serving as the Commissioner of Lee County in his native Florida. The Republican was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to finish the term of County Commissioner Franklin B. Mann, who passed away in 2022.
A married father of two sons, Greenwell also briefly raced cars on the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006.
His wife, Tracy, told local news station WINK that he died Thursday in Boston. Greenwell previous told the station he’d been undergoing treatment for medullary thyroid cancer.
‘It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Commissioner Mike Greenwell, a lifelong Lee County resident,’ read a post on the Lee County Government’s Facebook page.
‘He was a strong advocate for the people and businesses of Lee County and will be remembered for seeking meaningful solutions to the challenges his community faced. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and all who were touched by his leadership.’
Wade Boggs, a long-time teammate of Greenwell’s in Boston who beat prostate cancer earlier this year, shared his grief with a series of ‘heartbroken’ and ‘prayers’ emojis on X.
MORE TO FOLLOW…
Mike Greenwell, a Boston Red Sox All-Star and the runner-up for the 1987 American League MVP award, has died at 62 following his battle with cancer

Don Baylor and rookie Mike Greenwell of the Boston Red Sox pose for a photo prior to an MLB game versus the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois
Greenwell is seen celebrating the 1995 AL East title with Red Sox fans at Fenway Park