31 Facts About Fred McGriff

1.

Fred McGriff won a World Series title as a first baseman with the Atlanta Braves in 1995.

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2.

Fred McGriff's nickname, "Crime Dog", created by sports broadcaster Chris Berman, is a play on McGruff, a cartoon dog created for American police to raise children's awareness on crime prevention.

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3.

At first, Fred McGriff stated he would prefer "Fire Dog", but since has stated that he is fond of the nickname.

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4.

Fred McGriff's mother, Eliza, was a schoolteacher and his father, Earl, was an electronics repairman.

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5.

Fred McGriff went out for the baseball team at Jefferson High School as a sophomore but was cut.

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6.

Fred McGriff made the team the following year after undergoing a growth spurt.

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7.

Fred McGriff was a high school teammate of Al Pardo.

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8.

Fred McGriff first attracted the attention of professional ball clubs after hitting a long home run off of Hillsborough High School's Doc Gooden with scouts in attendance to watch Gooden pitch.

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9.

Fred McGriff accepted a scholarship offer to play college baseball for the Georgia Bulldogs.

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10.

Fred McGriff signed with the New York Yankees after being selected in the 9th round of the 1981 amateur draft.

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11.

Fred McGriff played two innings at first base on May 17,1986, and the next day started his first career game as the designated hitter.

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12.

Fred McGriff reached the majors full-time in 1987, and hit 34 home runs the next year, his first of seven consecutive seasons with over 30 homers.

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13.

Fred McGriff emerged as the top power hitter in the American League in 1989, leading the league with 36 home runs, including the first home run hit at the SkyDome, helping the Blue Jays win the AL East division title.

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14.

On December 5,1990, Fred McGriff was traded to the San Diego Padres along with Tony Fernandez in exchange for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter — two players who would be integral in Toronto's back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

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15.

Fred McGriff's numbers remained consistent in the National League, where he hit.

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16.

Fred McGriff made his first All-Star appearance the following year and led the NL in home runs in 1992, three years after he had accomplished the same feat in the AL.

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17.

Fred McGriff finished with a career high 37 homers and fourth place in the NL MVP voting.

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18.

Fred McGriff remained with the Braves in 1995 and continued to be a successful cleanup hitter.

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19.

Fred McGriff hit two home runs in the 1995 World Series en route to his only World Series championship ring.

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20.

Fred McGriff was called out on strikes by umpire Eric Gregg on a pitch thrown by Livan Hernandez during the 1997 NLCS, which was the last significant event for McGriff as a member of the Braves.

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21.

Fred McGriff, playing for his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, batted.

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22.

Fred McGriff's numbers experienced a minor renaissance in 1999 when he hit.

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23.

Fred McGriff waived his no-trade clause to allow himself to be dealt to Chicago on July 27,2001.

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24.

Fred McGriff had thirty home runs during a strong 2002 campaign, which earned him a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2003 season.

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25.

Fred McGriff officially declared his retirement during spring training of 2005 when he received no calls from any teams requesting his services.

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26.

Fred McGriff ended his career with ten seasons with at least thirty home runs.

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27.

Fred McGriff led MLB in total home runs hit from 1989 to 1994, and hit the third-most home runs in the decade from 1988 to 1997.

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28.

Fred McGriff became eligible for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.

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29.

Fred McGriff remained eligible through 2019, when his time on the ballot expired after ten unsuccessful appearances.

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30.

Fred McGriff will be eligible for selection by the Today's Game Committee beginning with its meeting in December 2022.

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31.

Fred McGriff appeared in commercials for Tom Emanski's Baseball Fundamentals training videos in 1991.

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