Mike Greenwell’s Cause of Death: How Did the Red Sox Hall of Famer Die?

Mike Greenwell played his entire Major League baseball career with the Boston Red Sox. As a member of the Red Sox team from 1982 to 1996, he was an MLB fixture and an All-Star. He went on to hold elected office as Lee County commissioner in Florida.

Greenwell has died at the age of 62, according to officials with Lee County. He leaves behind his wife, Tracy, and two sons.

“Closer to home in Cape Coral, Florida, Greenwell opened Mike Greenwell’s Bat-A-Ball and Family Fun Park since 1992. Cape Coral residents, he and his wife, Tracy, had two sons, Bo and Garrett. Bo was drafted in 2007 by Cleveland and also spent time in the Boston minor-league chain,” the Society for American Baseball Research says.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Red Sox Hall of Famer MikeGreenwell,” the Red Sox wrote. “’The Gator’ spent his entire career in a Red Sox uniform and was a beloved fixture of Fenway and Fort Myers. He gave so much to Lee County and Sox Nation. We send our love to the Greenwell family.”

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What was Greenwell’s cause of death? How did Greenwell die? Thyroid cancer, according to WCVB-TV. He revealed in August that he was diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer, according to the television station, which described it as a rare form of cancer.

According to WCVB, after leaving the MLB, Greenwell “played briefly with the Hanshin Tigers baseball team in Japan and ran a few NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races.”

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Commissioner Mike Greenwell, a lifelong Lee County resident,” Lee County government wrote. “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.”

The post continued: “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and all who were touched by his leadership.”

About a quarter of medullary thyroid cancers are inherited, and the rest are random, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The Cleveland Clinic explains, “Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) forms in the inside of your thyroid gland, which is called the medulla. It’s the rarest type of thyroid cancer. While most cases are sporadic (random), about 25% of cases are linked to an inherited condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.”