Fred McGriff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fred McGriff
McGriff with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007
First baseman
Born: (1963-10-31) October 31, 1963 (age 61) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
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
Toronto Blue Jays (1986–1990) San Diego Padres (1991–1993) Atlanta Braves (1993–1997) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2001) Chicago Cubs (2001–2002) Los Angeles Dodgers (2003) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004)
Career highlights and awards
5× All-Star (1992, 1994–1996, 2000) World Series champion (1995) 3× Silver Slugger Award (1989, 1992, 1993) 2× Home run leader (1989, 1992) Tampa Bay Rays Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2023
Vote	100%
Election Method	Contemporary Baseball Era Committee

Frederick Stanley McGriff, born October 31, 1963, is a former American baseball player. He was a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) and played for six different teams from 1986 to 2004. People called him "Crime Dog", a fun nickname. He was known as a strong hitter in the 1990s.

McGriff hit over 80 runs batted in (RBI) every year from 1988 to 2002. He was 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 a five-time All-Star. In the 1994 All-Star Game, he was named the Most Valuable Player. He hit a home run in the ninth inning to tie the game.

After playing for the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres, McGriff joined the Atlanta Braves. He helped the Braves win the 1995 World Series title. In 50 postseason games, McGriff batted .303 with 10 home runs. He then joined his hometown 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 drove in 100 runs eight times and batted .300 four times.

McGriff finished his career with 493 home runs. This placed him among the top left-handed hitters in MLB history. He also had 1,550 RBI. He was a very durable first baseman. He played 2,239 games at first base. In 2023, McGriff was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He now works for the Braves as a Special Assistant.

Early Life and High School Baseball

McGriff was born in Tampa, Florida. His mother, Eliza, was a teacher. His father, Earl, repaired electronics. As a child, he visited Al Lopez Field during baseball spring training. He also worked as a vendor at Tampa Stadium.

McGriff tried out for the baseball team at Jefferson High School. He was cut as a sophomore. He grew taller and made the team the next year. He played with Al Pardo in high school. Scouts noticed him after he hit a long home run. This happened off of Dwight Gooden, a future star pitcher. McGriff then accepted a scholarship to play college baseball for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Professional Baseball Career

Starting in the Minor Leagues (1981–1985)

McGriff signed with the New York Yankees in 1981. He was picked in the 9th round of the amateur draft. He received a $20,000 bonus. In 1982, the Yankees traded McGriff to the Toronto Blue Jays. This trade also included Dave Collins and Mike Morgan. In return, the Yankees got Dale Murray and Tom Dodd. Many people now see this as a very uneven trade.

At the time, the Yankees had Don Mattingly at first base. So, McGriff might not have had a spot. But the Yankees did not get much back. Murray only won three games for them. Dodd was released soon after. Before McGriff became a regular player, baseball legend Ted Williams noticed his powerful hitting. Williams heard the sound of the ball leaving McGriff's bat.

To get better, McGriff also played in the Baseball Winter League in the Dominican Republic. He played for different teams from 1984 to 1987. He won a Golden Glove there in the 1986-87 season.

Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays (1986–1990)

McGriff played his first MLB game on May 17, 1986. He played two innings at first base. The next day, he started as the designated hitter. In his first at-bat, he hit a line drive for his first career hit. He played only one more MLB game that year.

McGriff became a full-time MLB player in 1987. He hit 34 home runs in 1988. This was the first of seven straight seasons with over 30 homers. In 1989, he led the American League with 36 home runs. He hit the first home run ever at the SkyDome. This helped the Blue Jays win the AL East division. His hitting stayed strong in 1990. McGriff batted .300 and was a consistent player.

Time with the San Diego Padres (1990–1993)

On December 5, 1990, the Blue Jays traded McGriff and Tony Fernández. They went to the San Diego Padres. In return, Toronto received Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter.

McGriff batted .278 for San Diego in 1991. He made his first All-Star team in 1992. That year, he led the NL in home runs. This was three years after he led the AL in home runs.

Joining the Atlanta Braves (1993–1997)

On July 18, 1993, the Padres traded McGriff to the Atlanta Braves. The Padres were not doing well and wanted to trade their expensive players. The Braves got McGriff for Vince Moore, Donnie Elliott, and Melvin Nieves. McGriff hit a home run in his first game with the Braves. He helped the team win 51 of their last 70 games. This helped them win their division. He finished with a career-high 37 home runs.

In the 1994 season, which was cut short by a strike, McGriff was batting .318. He had 34 home runs when the season ended in August. He won the All-Star Game MVP Award that year. He hit a game-tying home run for the National League.

McGriff stayed with the Braves in 1995. He continued to be a successful cleanup hitter. He hit two home runs in the 1995 World Series. He won his only World Series championship ring that year.

After the 1995 season, McGriff signed a new contract with the Braves. He hit .295 with a career-best 107 RBIs in 1996. He helped the Braves reach another World Series. In 1997, McGriff hit 22 home runs. After the season, the Braves allowed him to be picked by the new Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Playing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2001)

The Braves did not protect McGriff in the 1997 expansion draft. He was not chosen by any team. So, the Braves traded McGriff to the new Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

McGriff batted .278 with 19 home runs in his first season with the Devil Rays. His hitting improved in 1999. He batted .310 with 32 home runs that season.

Time with the Chicago Cubs (2001–2002)

After a good 2000 season, McGriff started well in 2001. The Chicago Cubs wanted him for their team. He agreed to be traded to Chicago on July 27, 2001. He hit .282 with 12 homers in 49 games for the Cubs. However, the team did not make the postseason.

Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2003)

McGriff hit 30 home runs in 2002. This earned him a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 2003. He was 40 years old and needed 22 more homers to reach 500. But he only hit 13 home runs with a .249 batting average. He also spent a lot of time injured.

Returning to the Devil Rays (2004)

In 2004, the Devil Rays re-signed McGriff. He had a .181 batting average and only two home runs. The Devil Rays released him on July 28, 2004. He was seven home runs short of 500.

McGriff tried out for the New York Yankees. But the team did not sign him. He officially retired from baseball in 2005. No other teams called him to play.

After His Playing Career

In January 2007, McGriff became a special adviser for the Devil Rays. He stayed with the Rays until 2010. In 2015, McGriff joined the Braves. He became a special assistant in their baseball operations department. He works with their minor league players.

Baseball Legacy and Hall of Fame

McGriff at Rogers Centre in 2019

McGriff ended 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 for five different teams. McGriff did this with Toronto, San Diego, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and the Chicago Cubs. He led MLB in total home runs from 1989 to 1994. He hit the third-most home runs from 1988 to 1997.

As of 2019, McGriff was one of only 16 players to have a career batting average of .280 or higher. He also had an on-base percentage of .375 or higher and a slugging percentage of .500 or higher. Plus, he hit at least 490 home runs.

McGriff became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. He did not get enough votes from baseball writers at first. But on December 4, 2022, he was chosen by the Contemporary Era Committee. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with a unanimous vote. McGriff and Scott Rolen were officially 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 the best thing he ever did. It gave him extra chances to hit. He encouraged young players to play there too.

Personal Life

McGriff married Veronica in 1988. They raised two children together. McGriff lived in a custom-built home in Tampa from the mid-1990s until 2019.

McGriff's father, Earl, passed away in November 1999. His mother passed away in 2017.

McGriff appeared in commercials for Tom Emanski's Baseball Fundamentals training videos. These commercials ran for over ten years on ESPN. They were the longest-running sports infomercial on TV.

See also

In Spanish: Fred McGriff para niños