Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell enjoyed the country life. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell opened and operated several local businesses including 31 Produce off SR 31. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell opened and operated several local businesses including 31 Produce off SR 31. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell opened and operated several local businesses including 31 Produce off SR 31. Photo courtesy of Lee County. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell enjoyed the country life. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell opened and operated several local businesses including 31 Produce off SR 31. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Family was everything to Mike Greenwell. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Memorabilia from Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell opened and operated several local businesses including 31 Produce off SR 31. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell opened and operated several local businesses including 31 Produce off SR 31. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Remembering "Gator Mike" Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Remembering "Gator Mike" Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Mike Greenwell opened and operated several local businesses including the old Mike Greenwell’s Bat-A-Ball & Family Fun Park” in Cape Coral. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Remembering "Gator Mike" Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Remembering "Gator Mike" Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Remembering "Gator Mike" Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Remembering "Gator Mike" Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Remembering "Gator Mike" Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Remembering "Gator Mike" Mike Greenwell's baseball career. Photo courtesy of Lee County.
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Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane addresses the crowd gathered for Mike Greenwell’s Celebration of Life Saturday. Ruane is flanked (from left) by fellow Commissioners Cecil Pendergrass and Brian Hamman, former Commissioner Ray Sandelli and current Commissioner David Mulicka.
Photo by CASEY BRADLEY GENT
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The Honor Guard prepares to present colors ahead of Mike Greenwell’s Celebration of Life Saturday at JetBlue Park. Photo y CASEY BRADLEY GENT
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Mike Greenwell (District 5) is sworn in, in 2022. PHOTO PROVIDED
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Rep. Mike Giallombardo (at left) speaks with Lee County Board of County Commissioners Chair Mike Greenwell after Lee County delegation meeting in November, 2023.
NATHAN MAYBERG
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Mike Greenwell
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Mike Greenwell
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Mike Greenwell speaks to the Kiwanis Club North in December 1991. He was talking about his plans for Greenwell's Batting and Family Fun Park to be built on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. Greenwell's Bat-A-Ball and Family Fun Park, now under new ownership as Gator Mike's Family Fun Park, opened in 1992.
File photo
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Mike Greenwell, his early with the Boston Red Sox.
File photo
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The Honor Guard prepares to present colors ahead of Mike Greenwell’s Celebration of Life Saturday at JetBlue Park.
Photo by CASEY BRADLEY GENT
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Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane addresses the crowd gathered for Mike Greenwell’s Celebration of Life. Ruane is flanked (from left) by fellow Commissioners Pendergrass and Hamman, former Commissioner Sandelli and current Commissioner Mulicka. By CASEY BRADLEY GENT
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Boston Red Sox General Manager Shawn Smith gives an animated recollection of Mike Greenwell’s maturation as a Red Sox left fielder. Smith addressed those gathered for Greenwell’s Celebration of Life following the Lee County Commissioners. By CASEY BRADLEY GENT
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State Rep. Mike Giallombardo, at left, speaks with Lee County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mike Greenwell (R-District 5) after the Lee County Legislative Delegation meeting on Nov. 30 in Fort Myers. NATHAN MAYBERG
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PHOTO PROVIDED
Lee County Commissioner Mike Greenwell, who represents District 5, is sworn in on Nov. 15. He was also selected by the baord to serve as the vice chairman for the year.
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PHOTO PROVIDED
Mike Greenwell
Friends, family and hundreds of community members gathered at JetBlue Stadium Saturday afternoon — many wearing Boston Red Sox jerseys — to celebrate the life of Mike Greenwell, baseball hero turned Lee County Commissioner.
Danielle Justice, a former pastor and Greenwell’s niece, officiated Saturday’s Celebration of Life for the North Fort Myers High School graduate who went on the spend 12 years in the Major League as a left fielder, all of them with the Red Sox where he was known as Gator Mike.
“The sheer number of people here speaks volumes,” Justice began. “He gave people his time. He gave people his heart. He gave people his example.”
Greenwell, 62, a Red Sox Hall of Famer, died Oct. 9 following a battle with thyroid cancer.
Saturday’s service was open to the public, and nearly every part of the day’s event was either a nod to Mike’s life in baseball, or to his life as a dad and public servant.
Greenwell and his wife Tracy were together for 45 years. When Tracy and the family entered JetBlue Stadium, they symbolically entered from left field. Tracy entered the stadium first, accompanied by two of her grandsons, Brooks and Gage. Tracy was followed by the couple’s sons, Bo and Garrett Greenwell. Bo’s wife, Brittany, the couple’s son, Brady, and Garrett’s wife, Paige, and the couple’s daughter, Paizlee. The two oldest grandsons, each holding one of Grandma Tracy’s hands, jumped over the white chalk-line leading from home base to third base. This show of respect for the white chalk line seemed to simply be part of growing-up as a Greenwell.
Following Justice’s introduction, a collection of four current and one former Lee County commissioners spoke on the impact of Mike Greenwell and their collective leadership. Vice Chairman Cecil Pendergrass thanked the Greenwell family for sharing Mike with the community.
“We are better people because of him. We are better commissioners. We are a better Lee County,” Pendergrass said.
Commissioner Brian Hamman said that Mike Greenwell literally “lived every little boy’s dream.” He played with the Red Sox from 1985-to-1996 career with the Red Sox, Greenwell became a professional angler.
Red Sox General Manager Shawn Smith also spoke.
He said it was an honor to be there, and to celebrate Mike Greenwell’s love and respect for the game of baseball.
As a baseball player, Greenwell was the runner-up in the 1988 American League Most Valuable Player vote and was on the 1986 Red Sox team that faced the New York Mets in a thrilling seven-game World Series match which the Mets won.
He batted over .300 for his career, a rare feat among hitters, ending his career with a .303 batting average. He was also one of the toughest players to strike out of his era. In six seasons, he ranked among the top 10 in most at-bats per strikeout amongst all major leaguers.
After Greenwell retired from the Red Sox, he coached Little League baseball, and was a devoted high school football and baseball coach for Riverdale High School.
Among the groups represented at Saturday’s gathering were former athletes Greenwell coached, former employees of 31 Produce and even Greenwell’s personal physician. Each attendee agreed that Mike and Tracy Greenwell made everyone who knew the couple feel like family.
Before closing Saturday’s Celebration of Life, Justice reminded the audience, “This community cheered for Mike long before Fenway ever did.”
Along the stadium corridors, North Fort Myers High School and Red Sox sports memorabilia lined several fences. In the collection of photographs on display, Mike Greenwell’s smile appeared big and bright — much like the legacy he leaves behind with wife Tracy, their sons and grandchildren here in Lee County and beyond.
After Greenwell returned to Southwest Florida, he opened and operated several local businesses including the old Mike Greenwell’s Bat-A-Ball & Family Fun Park” in Cape Coral and 31 Produce, a farmers market complete with U-pick field, country store and the popular Cracker Shack Cafe.
Greenwell’s political service began in 2022, after he was appointed the Lee County Commissioner for District 5 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Greenwell won a Republican Party primary a month later and then a special election that November to retain his seat and fill out the remainder of the seat’s term.
Greenwell was re-elected in 2024 to a new term in office and also served as a past chair of the county commissioners.
Editor’s Note: CJ Haddad contributed to this report.
