Fred McGriff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fred McGriff |
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McGriff with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: October 31, 1963 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 17, 1986, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 15, 2004, for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .284 | ||
| Hits | 2,490 | ||
| Home runs | 493 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,550 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2023 | ||
| Vote | 100% | ||
| Election Method | Contemporary Baseball Era Committee | ||
Frederick Stanley McGriff (born October 31, 1963) is a former American first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for six different teams from 1986 to 2004.
McGriff was known as "Crime Dog". This nickname was a fun play on the famous cartoon character, McGruff the Crime Dog. He was one of the best power hitters in the 1990s. He hit over 80 runs batted in (RBI) every year from 1988 to 2002. He was also the first player in a long time to lead both the American League (AL) and National League (NL) in home runs. He led the AL in 1989 and the NL in 1992.
He was chosen for the All-Star Game five times. In 1994, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game. He hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning!
McGriff played for the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres early in his career. He then joined the Atlanta Braves in 1993. He helped the Braves win the 1995 World Series title. In his career, he hit .303 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 50 postseason games. After the Braves, he joined his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, in 1998. He was their main power hitter for four seasons.
He hit 20 or more home runs fifteen times. He was the first player to hit 30 home runs with five different teams. He also drove in 100 runs eight times and batted .300 four times. When he retired, McGriff had 493 career home runs. This put him very close to the 500 home run club. He also had 1,550 RBI. He was a very strong and reliable first baseman. In 2023, Fred McGriff was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and High School Baseball
McGriff was born in Tampa, Florida. His mother, Eliza, was a teacher, and his father, Earl, fixed electronics. As a child, he loved baseball. He would visit Al Lopez Field to watch the Cincinnati Reds practice in spring training. He also worked as a vendor at Tampa Stadium.
McGriff tried out for the baseball team at Jefferson High School as a sophomore. He didn't make the team that year. But he grew taller and stronger, and he made the team the next year. He played with Al Pardo in high school. Scouts first noticed McGriff when he hit a very long home run. This happened while scouts were watching another great pitcher, Dwight Gooden, from Hillsborough High School. McGriff later received a scholarship to play college baseball for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues (1981–1985)
The New York Yankees picked Fred McGriff in the 9th round of the 1981 draft. He signed with them and got a $20,000 bonus. In 1982, the Yankees traded McGriff to the Toronto Blue Jays. This trade is now seen as one of the most important trades in baseball history.
Even before he became a regular player in the major leagues, baseball legend Ted Williams noticed McGriff's powerful hitting. Williams heard the unique sound the ball made when McGriff hit it during batting practice. To get even better, McGriff also played in the Baseball Winter League in the Dominican Republic from 1984 to 1987. He even won a Golden Glove there in the 1986-87 season.
Toronto Blue Jays (1986–1990)
McGriff played his first MLB game on May 17, 1986. He got his first hit the very next day. He became a full-time major league player in 1987. In 1988, he hit 34 home runs. This was the first of seven years in a row where he hit over 30 homers.
In 1989, he became the top power hitter in the American League. He led the league with 36 home runs. He even hit the first home run ever at the SkyDome! This helped the Blue Jays win the AL East division title. He continued to play well in 1990, batting .300.
San Diego Padres (1990–1993)
In December 1990, the Blue Jays traded McGriff to the San Diego Padres. He continued to hit well in the National League. In 1992, he made his first All-Star team. He also led the NL in home runs that year, just three years after leading the AL.
Atlanta Braves (1993–1997)
In July 1993, the Padres traded McGriff to the Atlanta Braves. The Braves wanted him to boost their offense. McGriff hit a home run in his very first game with the Braves! He was a key player in the Braves' amazing finish to the season. They won 51 of their last 70 games to take first place. He ended the year with a career-high 37 home runs.
In the 1994 season, which was cut short by a strike, McGriff was batting .318 and had 34 home runs. He won the All-Star Game MVP Award that year. He hit a game-tying home run for the National League in the ninth inning.
McGriff stayed with the Braves in 1995 and was a strong cleanup hitter. He hit two home runs in the 1995 World Series. The Braves won the World Series that year, giving McGriff his only championship ring. After the 1995 season, he signed a new contract with the Braves. In 1996, he hit .295 with a career-best 107 RBI. He helped the Braves reach another World Series in 1996. In 1997, he hit 22 home runs.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2001)
After the 1997 season, the Braves allowed McGriff to be picked by the new Tampa Bay Devil Rays team. He batted .278 with 19 home runs in his first year with the Devil Rays. In 1999, he had a great season, batting .310 with 32 home runs.
Chicago Cubs (2001–2002)
In 2001, McGriff was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He hit .282 with 12 home runs in 49 games for the Cubs.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2003)
After a strong 2002 season with 30 home runs, McGriff signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 2003. At 40 years old, he hit 13 home runs and had a .249 batting average. He also spent time on the disabled list due to injuries.
Return to the Devil Rays (2004)
In 2004, the Devil Rays signed McGriff again. He struggled that year, batting only .181 with two home runs. The Devil Rays released him in July 2004. He was just seven home runs shy of 500 for his career. McGriff officially retired from baseball in 2005.
After Playing Baseball
In 2007, McGriff joined the Devil Rays as a special adviser. He worked with them until 2010. In 2015, he joined the Braves again as a special assistant. He helps work with their minor league players.
Legacy and Hall of Fame
Fred McGriff finished his career with ten seasons where he hit at least 30 home runs. He and Gary Sheffield are the only players to hit 30 home runs in a season for five different teams. McGriff led all of MLB in total home runs from 1989 to 1994. He hit the third-most home runs in the decade from 1988 to 1997.
He was eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame starting in 2010. After several years on the ballot, he was finally elected to the Hall of Fame on December 4, 2022. He was chosen by the Contemporary Era Committee. McGriff was formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 23, 2023.
During his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, McGriff talked about playing winter baseball in the Dominican Republic. He said it was very helpful for his career. He encouraged young players to consider playing there to get more experience.
Personal Life
Fred McGriff married Veronica in 1988. They have two children. McGriff lived in a special home in Tampa from the mid-1990s until 2019. His father passed away in 1999, and his mother passed away in 2017.
McGriff also appeared in commercials for Tom Emanski's Baseball Fundamentals training videos. These commercials were very famous and ran for over ten years on ESPN.
See also
In Spanish: Fred McGriff para niños
- List of Major League Baseball home run records
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
Images for kids
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Fred McGriff at Rogers Centre in 2019
