Fred McGriff
Encyclopedia
Frederick Stanley McGriff (born October 31, 1963 in Tampa, Florida
) is a left-handed former Major League Baseball
player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star
became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era
to lead both leagues in home run
s. Although he never hit more than 37 homers in a single season, he finished his career only seven homers away from joining the exclusive 500 home run club
. He won a World Series
title as a first baseman with the Atlanta Braves
in 1995. He currently works in the Rays' front office as an advisor. He also currently works for Bright House Sports Network as a co-host for "The Baysball Show".
McGriff's nickname "Crime Dog" was bestowed on him by ESPN
sportscaster Chris Berman, noted for his unusual and idiosyncratic player nicknames. The nickname is a play on McGruff
, a cartoon dog created for American police to raise children's awareness on crime prevention. In addition, Berman would punctuate McGriff highlights by referring to them as "Crime Time", again, a wordplay referencing Berman's NFL: Primetime newscast. Unlike most of Berman's nicknames, the "Crime Dog" nickname entered into standard usage. At first, McGriff stated he would prefer "Fire Dog" (a reference to a fire in the press-box of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
the day the Braves acquired him from the Padres; symbolically, the then-slumping Braves "caught fire" and ended up winning their division), but since has stated that he actually is fond of the "Crime Dog" nickname.
minor league system in the early 1980s. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 9th round of the 1981 amateur draft and signed June 11, 1981. In , the Yankees dealt McGriff, Dave Collins
and Mike Morgan
to the Toronto Blue Jays
for Dale Murray
and Tom Dodd
.
Fred reached the majors full-time in and slugged 34 home runs the next year, his first of seven consecutive seasons with over thirty homers. McGriff emerged as the top power hitter in the American League
in as he belted 36 home runs. His power numbers remained steady in as McGriff batted .300 and established himself as a consistent producer.
McGriff was the first person to hit a home run at Skydome
, now known as the Rogers Centre.
with Tony Fernández
in exchange for Roberto Alomar
and Joe Carter
- two players who would be integral in Toronto's back-to-back World Series titles in the early 1990s.
He continued to flourish in the National League
, hitting .278/.396/.474 for San Diego in . He led the NL in home runs in , three years after he had accomplished the same feat in the AL. On July 18, 1993, the Padres, seeking to unload their high-priced veterans, dealt McGriff to the Atlanta Braves
for prospect Vince Moore, Donnie Elliott
and Melvin Nieves
. McGriff hit a pivotal home run in his first game with the Braves and his offensive tear during the second half of the season helped carry the team to a division title, with a record of 51-19 after his arrival. He finished with a career high 37 homers and fourth place in the NL MVP voting. McGriff was batting .318 and already had 34 home runs when the strike ended play in August . It would have been a career-year for McGriff. He did manage to win the All-Star Game MVP Award
that year after hitting the game-tying home run for the National League, after the NL trailed 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Fred was runner-up to Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1994 Home Run Derby
.
McGriff's production remained steady in as he continued to be a successful cleanup hitter
for the Braves. He hit two home runs in the 1995 World Series
as he won his only championship ring. The quiet star hit .295/.365/494 with a career-best 107 RBIs on his way to another World Series
appearance in . With only 22 home runs in , McGriff appeared to be in decline. Being controversially called out on strikes by umpire Eric Gregg
on a pitch 3 feet outside thrown by Liván Hernández
during the 1997 NLCS was the last significant event for McGriff as a Brave. The team allowed him to be picked up by the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays
after the season.
around the trade deadline, and the soft-spoken McGriff waived his no-trade clause to allow himself to be dealt to Chicago on July 27, 2001. He hit a respectable .282 with 12 homers in 49 games with the Cubs, but the team did not reach the postseason.
McGriff had 30 home runs during a strong campaign, which earned him a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
for the season. He was 22 homers shy of 500 for his career, but the forty-year-old McGriff could only muster 13 with a .249 batting average and spent a significant amount of time on the disabled list.
During spring training in , the Devil Rays re-signed McGriff in hopes of letting the veteran ballplayer hit 500 home runs. Unfortunately, he ended up with a .181 average and had hit just two home runs in his sporadic play from the end of May until mid-July. The Devil Rays released McGriff on July 28, 2004, seven home runs shy of 500. Despite the fact that McGriff only played in Tampa Bay
late in his career, he collected 66 win shares
as a Devil Ray, the team's all-time record.
While McGriff hoped to catch on with another team after being released by the Devil Rays, he officially declared his retirement during spring training of when he received no calls from any teams requesting his services. He retired with 493 home runs, tied with baseball legend Lou Gehrig
, and became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2010. He received 21.5% of the vote in his first year of eligibility. In 2011, McGriff received 104 votes (17.9 percent of total votes cast) for induction.
McGriff ended his career having 10 seasons with at least 30 home runs. He and Gary Sheffield
are the only players ever to hit at least 30 home runs in one season for 5 different teams (Toronto [x3]; San Diego [x2]; Atlanta [x1]; Tampa Bay [x1]; Chicago Cubs [x1]).
Baseball Training videos on ESPN since 1991, which are still aired to this day on the network (one of television's longest running commercials ever). In the ad, McGriff deadpans the merits of the videos while wearing a "Baseball World" mesh cap perched high atop his head. Because of the frequency and longevity of the Emanski commercials, ESPN
analyst Kenny Mayne
coined a second, less used nickname for McGriff, "Baseball Superstar", as he was referenced in the commercials as "Baseball Superstar Fred McGriff." Fred McGriff is the only current retired recipient of the Wampum Willy Award. Currently, McGriff hosts a radio show in Tampa and is an assistant baseball coach at Jesuit High School of Tampa
.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
) is a left-handed former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era
Dead-ball era
The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
to lead both leagues in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. Although he never hit more than 37 homers in a single season, he finished his career only seven homers away from joining the exclusive 500 home run club
500 home run club
In Major League Baseball , the 500 home run club is a term applied to the group of batters who have hit 500 or more regular-season home runs in their careers. On August 11, 1929, Babe Ruth became the first member of the club. Ruth ended his career with 714 home runs, a record which stood from 1935...
. He won a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
title as a first baseman with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in 1995. He currently works in the Rays' front office as an advisor. He also currently works for Bright House Sports Network as a co-host for "The Baysball Show".
McGriff's nickname "Crime Dog" was bestowed on him by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
sportscaster Chris Berman, noted for his unusual and idiosyncratic player nicknames. The nickname is a play on McGruff
McGruff the Crime Dog
McGruff the Crime Dog is an anthropomorphic cartoon bloodhound created by Saatchi & Saatchi through the Ad Council for the National Crime Prevention Council for use by American police in building crime awareness among children. He debuted in July 1980. The character was created by John Young. The...
, a cartoon dog created for American police to raise children's awareness on crime prevention. In addition, Berman would punctuate McGriff highlights by referring to them as "Crime Time", again, a wordplay referencing Berman's NFL: Primetime newscast. Unlike most of Berman's nicknames, the "Crime Dog" nickname entered into standard usage. At first, McGriff stated he would prefer "Fire Dog" (a reference to a fire in the press-box of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...
the day the Braves acquired him from the Padres; symbolically, the then-slumping Braves "caught fire" and ended up winning their division), but since has stated that he actually is fond of the "Crime Dog" nickname.
Early career
McGriff was a prospect in the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
minor league system in the early 1980s. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 9th round of the 1981 amateur draft and signed June 11, 1981. In , the Yankees dealt McGriff, Dave Collins
Dave Collins
David S. Collins is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball from to .Collins is one of three players to have made it to the major leagues who played for the storied Rapid City Post 22 American Legion baseball program in Rapid City, SD...
and Mike Morgan
Mike Morgan
Michael Thomas Morgan is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He competed for twelve different teams over 25 years, and is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have played Major League baseball over four decades...
to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for Dale Murray
Dale Murray
Dale Albert Murray is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos out of Blinn College in Brenham, Texas in the eighteenth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, and developed into one of the top relief pitchers in the National League in the mid...
and Tom Dodd
Tom Dodd
Thomas Marion Dodd is a former Major League Baseball player. He is likely best remembered for being one of the players included in the deal that brought Fred McGriff to the Toronto Blue Jays as a minor league prospect.-Yankee farmhand:...
.
Fred reached the majors full-time in and slugged 34 home runs the next year, his first of seven consecutive seasons with over thirty homers. McGriff emerged as the top power hitter in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in as he belted 36 home runs. His power numbers remained steady in as McGriff batted .300 and established himself as a consistent producer.
McGriff was the first person to hit a home run at Skydome
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
, now known as the Rogers Centre.
Move to the National League
On December 5, 1990, McGriff was traded to the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
with Tony Fernández
Tony Fernández
Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro , better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills setting a record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.-Career:...
in exchange for Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
and Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
- two players who would be integral in Toronto's back-to-back World Series titles in the early 1990s.
He continued to flourish in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, hitting .278/.396/.474 for San Diego in . He led the NL in home runs in , three years after he had accomplished the same feat in the AL. On July 18, 1993, the Padres, seeking to unload their high-priced veterans, dealt McGriff to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for prospect Vince Moore, Donnie Elliott
Donnie Elliott
Donald Glenn Elliott is a former right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1994 to 1995 for the San Diego Padres. He was 6'4" and he weighed 190 pounds....
and Melvin Nieves
Melvin Nieves
Melvin Nieves Ramos is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball from 1992 until 1998, and two seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball in 1999-2000...
. McGriff hit a pivotal home run in his first game with the Braves and his offensive tear during the second half of the season helped carry the team to a division title, with a record of 51-19 after his arrival. He finished with a career high 37 homers and fourth place in the NL MVP voting. McGriff was batting .318 and already had 34 home runs when the strike ended play in August . It would have been a career-year for McGriff. He did manage to win the All-Star Game MVP Award
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award given to the most outstanding player in each year's MLB All-Star Game. Awarded each season since , it was originally called the "Arch Ward Memorial Award" in honor of Arch Ward, the man who...
that year after hitting the game-tying home run for the National League, after the NL trailed 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Fred was runner-up to Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1994 Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...
.
McGriff's production remained steady in as he continued to be a successful cleanup hitter
Cleanup hitter
In baseball, the cleanup hitter is the hitter who bats fourth in the lineup. Although the third man up is generally the hitter with the highest batting average, cleanup hitters often have the most power on the team and are typically the team's best power hitter; their job is to "clean up the...
for the Braves. He hit two home runs in the 1995 World Series
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
as he won his only championship ring. The quiet star hit .295/.365/494 with a career-best 107 RBIs on his way to another World Series
1996 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...
appearance in . With only 22 home runs in , McGriff appeared to be in decline. Being controversially called out on strikes by umpire Eric Gregg
Eric Gregg
Eric Eugene Gregg was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1975 to 1999...
on a pitch 3 feet outside thrown by Liván Hernández
Liván Hernández
Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...
during the 1997 NLCS was the last significant event for McGriff as a Brave. The team allowed him to be picked up by the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
after the season.
Late career
It looked like McGriff would be allowed to finish out his career in his hometown of Tampa. He batted .278, but with only 19 home runs. However, McGriff's career experienced a minor renaissance in when he hit a career-high .310 with 32 home runs. The season rejuvenated McGriff's career and gave hope of him reaching the coveted 500 home run mark. After another solid season in , McGriff got off to a good start in . He was heavily pursued by the contending Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
around the trade deadline, and the soft-spoken McGriff waived his no-trade clause to allow himself to be dealt to Chicago on July 27, 2001. He hit a respectable .282 with 12 homers in 49 games with the Cubs, but the team did not reach the postseason.
McGriff had 30 home runs during a strong campaign, which earned him a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for the season. He was 22 homers shy of 500 for his career, but the forty-year-old McGriff could only muster 13 with a .249 batting average and spent a significant amount of time on the disabled list.
During spring training in , the Devil Rays re-signed McGriff in hopes of letting the veteran ballplayer hit 500 home runs. Unfortunately, he ended up with a .181 average and had hit just two home runs in his sporadic play from the end of May until mid-July. The Devil Rays released McGriff on July 28, 2004, seven home runs shy of 500. Despite the fact that McGriff only played in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
late in his career, he collected 66 win shares
Win Shares
Win shares is the name of the metric Bill James describes in his 2002 book Win Shares.It considers statistics for baseball and basketball players, in the context of their team and in a sabermetric way, and assigns a single number to each player for his contributions for the year. A win share...
as a Devil Ray, the team's all-time record.
While McGriff hoped to catch on with another team after being released by the Devil Rays, he officially declared his retirement during spring training of when he received no calls from any teams requesting his services. He retired with 493 home runs, tied with baseball legend Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, and became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2010. He received 21.5% of the vote in his first year of eligibility. In 2011, McGriff received 104 votes (17.9 percent of total votes cast) for induction.
McGriff ended his career having 10 seasons with at least 30 home runs. He and Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...
are the only players ever to hit at least 30 home runs in one season for 5 different teams (Toronto [x3]; San Diego [x2]; Atlanta [x1]; Tampa Bay [x1]; Chicago Cubs [x1]).
Life outside sports
McGriff has appeared in commercials for Tom EmanskiTom Emanski
Tom Emanski is the man behind Tom Emanski Instructional Videos, a set of nine video tapes which lay out the fundamental techniques of baseball...
Baseball Training videos on ESPN since 1991, which are still aired to this day on the network (one of television's longest running commercials ever). In the ad, McGriff deadpans the merits of the videos while wearing a "Baseball World" mesh cap perched high atop his head. Because of the frequency and longevity of the Emanski commercials, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
analyst Kenny Mayne
Kenny Mayne
Kenneth "Kenny" Wheelock Mayne is a sports journalist and comedian for ESPN.-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA...
coined a second, less used nickname for McGriff, "Baseball Superstar", as he was referenced in the commercials as "Baseball Superstar Fred McGriff." Fred McGriff is the only current retired recipient of the Wampum Willy Award. Currently, McGriff hosts a radio show in Tampa and is an assistant baseball coach at Jesuit High School of Tampa
Jesuit High School of Tampa
Jesuit High School of Tampa, established in 1899, is a private, Catholic, all-male high school located in Tampa, Florida, USA. It operates independently of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.Jesuit of Tampa teaches a college...
.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions