On Thursday, the Red Sox announced the passing of former outfielder and Red Sox Hall of Famer Mike Greenwell, 62, just less than two months after The Boston Globe reported he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Greenwell, known as "the Gator" by teammates and fans "for his brave habit of wrestling with alligators during his youth in Southwest Florida," spent all 12 seasons of his career in Boston, from a Sept. 5,1985 debut to his final game at Fenway (and against the Yankees) on Sept. 28, 1996. He moved on to a short-lived stint with Japan's Hanshin Tigers following his retirement from MLB.