Major League Baseball

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.^[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] 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?"^[4]

On September 14, 1988, Greenwell hit for the cycle,^[5] becoming the 17th player to do so in Red Sox franchise history.^[6] 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,^[7] a record for most runs driven in by one player accounting for all of that team's runs in a single game.^[8] He also holds the American League record for most game-winning RBIs in a single season, with 23 in 1988;^[9] the game-winning RBI has since been discontinued as an official statistic.^[10] Greenwell was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008.^[11]

Nippon Professional Baseball

Greenwell signed with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball in 1997.^[12] 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.^[13] He did not return to Japan until late April.^[14] He played his first game on May 3, and hit an RBI triple in that game despite having missed spring training.^[15] 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.^[16][17]

Coaching

In 2001, Greenwell was hired during the offseason as a player-coach for the Cincinnati Reds' Double-A affiliate in Chattanooga, Tennessee.^[18] Greenwell was also the interim hitting coach for the Reds in 2001, filling in when Ken Griffey Sr. was given a medical leave of absence.^[19][20]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Craftsman Truck Series