Former Boston Red Sox outfileder Mike Greenwell, left, poses with NASCAR driver Todd Bodine. After a decade spent toiling around in late models, Greenwell will finally make his NASCAR debut in Saturday night's Truck Series event at Mansfield. Credit: AP

Ex-outfielder Greenwell ready for NCTS debut

Former MLB star says racing has been in his blood since teen years

For almost two decades, Mike Greenwell was a race driver trapped in a baseball player's body.

Now he prepares to return to his first love when he makes his Craftsman Truck Series debut Saturday in the City of Mansfield 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

City of Mansfield 250 Lineup Pos. Driver Make 1. Todd Bodine Toyota 2. Ted Musgrave Toyota 3. Auggie Vidovich Ford 4. David Reutimann Toyota 5. Terry Cook Ford 6. Johnny Benson Toyota 7. David Starr Toyota 8. Dennis Setzer Chevy 9. Jack Sprague Toyota 10. Matt Crafton Chevy • Complete lineup, click here

After 12 years as an outfielder with the Boston Red Sox, Greenwell found himself resuscitating a dream that was waylaid many years ago, growing up in southwest Florida.

"For my 18th birthday, the only present I got -- and wanted -- was to race a stock car," Greenwell said. "My dad, brother, me and one friend put together a [Ford] Galaxy 500 for the pure stock class in Naples."

So did his racing debut have a classic sports movie ending?

"Nope, I got wrecked," Greenwell said. "I only got one race in before I signed with the Red Sox. Five days later, I had to leave to play in Elmira [in the minor leagues]."

Even though he was forbidden from getting behind the wheel during his diamond career, Greenwell continued to keep his hand in the sport. He owned Late Models that ran in Florida and the Northeast. He also owned Busch North cars.

But in the back of his mind, Greenwell knew he wanted to get another chance to drive.

"I always knew, as soon as I was done playing baseball, that I'd try again," he said.

He was more successful the second time. Running Late Models, Greenwell began winning races at his home track -- Port Charlotte Speedway. Then he branched out, traveling around the state.

He realized that maybe he was onto something in 2000, when he won three races at New Smyrna Speedway during Speedweeks, taking the championship.

Inside the Numbers Mike Greenwell's Major League Baseball career G 1,269 AB 4,623 R 657 H 1,400 2B 275 3B 38 HR 130 RBI 726 BA .303 OBP .368 SLG .463 TB 2,141 Source: baseball-reference.com

"It was the first real chance for other people to see me race," Greenwell said. "Todd Bodine came to three of those races.

"He came over and I won the first night he was there. Then I won the next night, and two nights later, he brought [brother] Brett, Randy Lajoie and Ricky Craven and I won again."

In fact, Greenwell said Bodine was impressed enough to offer the ex-ballplayer a Busch Series ride. Greenwell turned him down.

"I didn't feel like I was ready," he said. "I had been racing only a few years and had been gone so much [playing ball], I didn't feel like it was fair to my family."

Unfortunately for Greenwell, it took another six years before the opportunity presented itself again, this time in Green Light Racing's No. 08 truck. Greenwell expects to make at least three starts this season, including Mansfield, and perhaps more if sponsorship develops.

Even though he's guaranteed a starting spot through owner's points, Greenwell doesn't want to be thought of as a novelty. He's running this weekend not because he played left field at Fenway Park, but because he's a professional race driver who worked his way up through the ranks.

"Mike Skinner said it's really neat you did it the way you did it," Greenwell said. "You spent a lot of time racing, learning how to drive and learning how to make the adjustments you need to make on the cars.

"You just didn't jump out of baseball and jump into the truck. You earned your way here."

At the same time, Greenwell said his experience in baseball translates nicely to the world of NASCAR.

"The drive, the fire in your gut to be successful [is the same]," Greenwell said. "The marketing aspect, dealing with the media, dealing with the fans."

Greenwell sees other similarities between the sports.

"It's all about teamwork," he said. "Baseball is a team sport. It only takes one mistake and your team loses.

"It's the same with racing. One mistake in the pits can cost you the race, or the driver can make a mistake on the track and cost you the race. It's the ability to stay focused for three, three-and-a-half hours at a time."

One thing to expect this weekend: A lot of caution flags.

Because Mansfield is a tight, half-mile bullring, passing is at a premium and patience will be, too. A total of 26 yellows have flown over the previous two Mansfield races, resulting in a combined 180 laps under caution.

Bobby Hamilton won this race a year ago, but won't be in the cockpit Saturday, as he continues to undergo cancer treatments.