View source for Fred McGriff

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1963)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|image=Fred McGriff.jpg
|image_size=165px
|caption=McGriff with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007<!--Photo is from 2007 when McGriff was first base coach for Tampa. Do not change to 2004.-->
|name=Fred McGriff
|position=[[First baseman]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1963|10|31}}
|birth_place=[[Tampa, Florida]], U.S.
|debutleague=MLB
|debutdate=May 17
|debutyear=1986
|debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays
|finalleague=MLB
|finaldate=July 15
|finalyear=2004
|finalteam=Tampa Bay Devil Rays
|statleague=MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.284
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=2,490
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=493
|stat4label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=1,550
|teams=
* [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{mlby|1986}}–{{mlby|1990}})
* [[San Diego Padres]] ({{mlby|1991}}–{{mlby|1993}})
* [[Atlanta Braves]] ({{mlby|1993}}–{{mlby|1997}})
* [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] ({{mlby|1998}}–{{mlby|2001}})
* [[Chicago Cubs]] ({{mlby|2001}}–{{mlby|2002}})
* [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{mlby|2003}})
* [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] ({{mlby|2004}})
|highlights=
* 5× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1992]], [[1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1994]]–[[1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1996]], [[2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2000]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1995}})
* 3× [[Silver Slugger Award]] (1989, 1992, 1993)
* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders|Home run leader]] (1989, 1992)
* [[Tampa Bay Rays Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate = [[2023 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2023]]
|hofvote = 100%
|hofmethod=Contemporary Baseball Era Committee
}}
'''Frederick Stanley McGriff''' (born October 31, 1963) is an American former [[first baseman]] in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) who played for six teams from 1986 through 2004. Nicknamed "'''Crime Dog'''",<ref name="e722">{{cite web | last=Gildea | first=William | title=THE BRAVES ARE COOKIN' WITH MCGRIFF IN THE MIX | website=Washington Post | date=1993-09-02 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1993/09/02/the-braves-are-cookin-with-mcgriff-in-the-mix/fb60c2ca-777e-4d60-9105-5e4b0a1f4570/ | access-date=2025-01-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upstartfilmcollective.com/portfolios/jcharnick/nicknames.html#top|title=Chris Berman's Nicknames|website=www.upstartfilmcollective.com|access-date=January 15, 2019}}</ref> a word play on [[McGruff the Crime Dog]], he was one of the most consistently productive power hitters of the 1990s. McGriff posted over 80 [[run batted in|runs batted in]] (RBI) every year from 1988 through 2002, and became the first player since the [[dead-ball era]] to lead both leagues in [[home run]]s — the [[American League]] (AL) in 1989 and the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) in 1992. A five-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]], he was named the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] of the [[1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1994 contest]] after his pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the score at 7&ndash;7, with the NL winning in 10 innings. McGriff finished in the top ten in voting for his league's [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]] every year from 1989 through 1994, during which time he led the major leagues in home runs.

After spending the first third of his career with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] and [[San Diego Padres]], McGriff became a major component in the [[Atlanta Braves]]' long run of division champions, posting over 90 RBI for five straight years after joining the club in a midseason 1993 trade, and helped lead the team to the [[1995 World Series]] title over the [[Cleveland Indians]]. In 50 career postseason games, McGriff [[batting average (baseball)|batted]] .303 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI. He then joined his hometown [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] when that club was established in 1998, and was the team's main power hitter for its first four seasons, establishing various franchise records which lasted several years before being broken. He hit 20 or more home runs fifteen times, becoming the first player to hit 30 home runs with five different teams, drove in 100 runs eight times, and batted .300 four times.

McGriff's 493 career home runs were tied for tenth in major league history among left-handed hitters when he retired, and put him only seven away from joining the [[500 home run club]]; his 462 home runs as a first baseman ranked fourth. He also ended his career with 1,550 RBI, and a .509 [[slugging percentage]]. One of the most durable first basemen in history, he ranked third in career games at first base (2,239), ninth in [[assist (baseball)|assists]] (1,447) and third in [[double play]]s (1,775). McGriff currently works in the Braves' front office as Special Assistant to Baseball Operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/braves/team/front-office|title=Atlanta Braves Front Office|website=MLB.com|access-date=January 15, 2019}}</ref> In {{bhofy|2023}}, McGriff was inducted into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]].

==Early life==
McGriff was born in [[Tampa, Florida]]. His mother, Eliza, was a schoolteacher and his father, Earl, was an electronics repairman. As a child, he hung out at [[Al Lopez Field]] during [[Cincinnati Reds]] spring training and worked as a vendor at [[Tampa Stadium]].<ref name="humble">{{cite magazine|last1=Callahan|first1=Gerry|title=Humble Hitman The Popular Fred McGriff Speaks Softly and Swings a Big Stick|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1995/10/31/209527/humble-hitman-the-popular-fred-mcgriff-speaks-softly-and-swings-a-big-stick|access-date=January 21, 2018|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=October 31, 1995|archive-date=January 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122181533/https://www.si.com/vault/1995/10/31/209527/humble-hitman-the-popular-fred-mcgriff-speaks-softly-and-swings-a-big-stick|url-status=dead}}</ref>

McGriff went out for the baseball team at [[Thomas Jefferson High School (Tampa, Florida)|Jefferson High School]] as a sophomore but was cut. He made the team the following year after undergoing a growth spurt. He was a high school teammate of [[Al Pardo]]. He first attracted the attention of professional ball clubs after hitting a long home run off of [[Hillsborough High School (Tampa, Florida)|Hillsborough High School]]'s [[Dwight Gooden]] with scouts in attendance to watch Gooden pitch.<ref name="reserved">{{cite news|last1=Nightengale|first1=Bob|title=Reserved as He Is Resolved|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-07-sp-386-story.html|access-date=January 21, 2018|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=April 7, 1991}}</ref> McGriff accepted a scholarship offer to play [[college baseball]] for the [[Georgia Bulldogs baseball|Georgia Bulldogs]].<ref name="sanford">{{cite news|last1=Sanford|first1=Adam|title=Hall of Fame candidate: Fred McGriff|url=https://www.draysbay.com/2015/1/23/7518561/classic-player-profile-fred-mcgriff|access-date=January 22, 2018|work=DRaysBay|publisher=[[SB Nation]]|date=January 23, 2015}}</ref>

==Professional career==
===Draft and minor leagues (1981–1985)===
McGriff signed with the [[New York Yankees]] after being selected in the 9th round of the [[1981 MLB Draft|1981 amateur draft]]. He received a $20,000 signing bonus.<ref name="reserved" /> In 1982, the Yankees dealt McGriff, [[Dave Collins (baseball)|Dave Collins]] and [[Mike Morgan (baseball)|Mike Morgan]] to the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] for [[Dale Murray]] and [[Tom Dodd (baseball)|Tom Dodd]]. The trade is now considered one of the most one-sided deals in baseball history; in 2006, [[Rob Neyer]] wrote that the trade looked particularly lopsided because it was one of the few instances that a player of McGriff's stature was traded before getting to the majors.<ref name=Neyer>{{cite book |last=Neyer |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Neyer |title=Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders |year=2006 |publisher=Fireside |location=New York City |isbn=0-7432-8491-7 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/robneyersbigbook0000neye }}</ref>

At the time, the trade appeared to make some sense from the Yankees' perspective, since McGriff was blocked from first base by [[Don Mattingly]]. Nonetheless, the Yankees didn't get nearly enough in return. Murray won only three games in three years with the Yankees, and was out of baseball by 1986. Dodd was released at the end of the season, and apart from a month with the [[Baltimore Orioles]] in 1986 spent the remainder of his career in the minors.<ref name=Neyer/> Before McGriff became a regular major leaguer, baseball great [[Ted Williams]] took note of his power at a batting practice session during spring training. Williams was drawn to McGriff when he heard the sound of the ball leaving McGriff's bat.

To improve his skills, McGriff also played for three seasons in the Baseball Winter League of the Dominican Republic for the teams Azucareros del Este (today [[Toros del Este]]), [[Leones del Escogido]] and Caimanes del Sur (defunct franchise), between 1984 and 1987. He won a Golden Glove in that league during the 1986-87 season and went to the league's postseason in the 1984-85 campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |title=McGriff's perseverance illustrated in Minors |url=https://www.milb.com/news/fred-mcgriff-hall-of-fame-minor-league-career |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Toronto Blue Jays (1986–1990)===
McGriff played two innings at first base on May 17, 1986, and the next day started his first career game as the [[designated hitter]]. His first [[at bat|at-bat]] was in the bottom of the second inning against [[Don Schulze]], during which he hit a line drive to left field for his first career hit. McGriff played in only one more MLB game that season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Classic Player Profile: Fred McGriff|date=January 23, 2015 |url=https://www.draysbay.com/2015/1/23/7518561/classic-player-profile-fred-|access-date=6 March 2019}}</ref>

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. He 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 [[Rogers Centre|SkyDome]], helping the Blue Jays win the [[American League East|AL East]] division title. His power numbers remained steady in 1990, as McGriff batted .300 and established himself as a consistent producer.

===San Diego Padres (1990–1993)===
On December 5, 1990, the Blue Jays traded McGriff and [[Tony Fernández]] to the [[San Diego Padres]] in exchange for [[Roberto Alomar]] and [[Joe Carter]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/06/sports/baseball-blue-jays-and-padres-make-trade-of-all-stars.html |title=BASEBALL; Blue Jays And Padres Make Trade Of All-Stars - The New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=1990-12-06 |accessdate=2022-12-05}}</ref>

McGriff hit .278/.396/.474 for San Diego in 1991. He 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.

===Atlanta Braves (1993–1997)===
On July 18, 1993, the Padres, out of contention and seeking to unload their high-priced veterans, dealt McGriff to the [[Atlanta Braves]] for prospect Vince Moore, [[Donnie Elliott]] and [[Melvin Nieves]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-19-sp-14788-story.html|title=Braves Get McGriff in Padre Trade|date=July 19, 1993|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> McGriff hit a home run in his first game with the Braves, who acquired him to replace the struggling [[Sid Bream]] at first and to provide an offensive spark, and was a key player in the Braves' 51–19 finish to overtake the [[San Francisco Giants]] and claim first place in the National League West for a third consecutive season. He finished with a career high 37 homers and fourth place in the [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|NL MVP]] voting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/10/sports/baseball-bonds-gets-another-mvp-award.html |title=BASEBALL; Bonds Gets Another M.V.P. Award |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=1993-11-10 |accessdate=2022-12-05}}</ref>

In the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|strike-shortened]] 1994 season, McGriff was batting .318 and had 34 home runs when play ended in August 1994. He won the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award|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. McGriff was runner-up to [[Ken Griffey Jr.]] in the 1994 [[Home Run Derby]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/home-run-derby-history-c283844278|title=Derby history: Looking back at past slugfests|website=MLB.com}}</ref>

McGriff remained with the Braves in 1995 and continued to be a successful [[cleanup hitter]]. He hit two home runs in the [[1995 World Series]] en route to his only World Series [[World Series ring|championship ring]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matheson |first1=Keegan |title=10 moments that defined Fred McGriff |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/fred-mcgriff-s-top-moments |access-date=July 25, 2023 |work=MLB.com |date=July 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Nightengale |first1=Bob |title='What a Hall Famer is all about': Beloved by all, Fred McGriff's peers talk 'Crime Dog' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2023/07/21/fred-mcgriff-baseball-hall-of-fame-weekend-cooperstown/70437384007/ |access-date=July 25, 2023 |work=USA Today |date=July 21, 2023}}</ref>

A [[free agent]] after the 1995 season, McGriff signed a four-year contract worth $20&nbsp;million with the Braves.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-03-sp-10028-story.html|title=Braves Sign McGriff: 4 Years, $20 Million|date=December 3, 1995|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> McGriff hit .295/.365/.494 with a career-best 107 RBIs on his way to another [[1996 World Series|World Series appearance in 1996]]. McGriff hit 22 home runs in the 1997 season. He was called out on strikes by umpire [[Eric Gregg]] on a pitch thrown by [[Liván Hernández]] during the [[1997 NLCS]], which was the last significant event for McGriff as a member of the Braves. The team allowed him to be picked up by the expansion [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] after the season.

===Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2001)===
The Braves did not protect McGriff in the [[1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft|1997 expansion draft]] after the season, and he was not selected. The Braves traded McGriff to the expansion [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] for a [[player to be named later]] after the draft.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/70226449/?terms=%22fred%20mcgriff%22&match=1 |title=The Index-Journal 19 Nov 1997, page Page 16 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=1997-11-19 |accessdate=2022-12-05}}</ref>

McGriff batted .278 with nineteen home runs in his first season with the Devil Rays. His numbers experienced a minor renaissance in 1999 when he hit .310 with 32 home runs the following season.

===Chicago Cubs (2001–2002)===
After another solid season in 2000, McGriff got off to a good start in 2001 and was heavily pursued by the contending [[Chicago Cubs]] around the trade deadline. He waived his no-trade clause to allow himself to be dealt to Chicago on July 27, 2001, for [[Manny Aybar]] and a player to be named later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2001/0727/1231915.html|title=ESPN.com: MLB - About face: McGriff accepts deal to Cubs|website=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> He hit .282 with twelve homers in 49 games with the Cubs, but the team did not reach the postseason.

===Los Angeles Dodgers (2003)===
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-21-sp-dodgers21-story.html|title=McGriff Becomes Dodgers' First Choice|date=December 21, 2002|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Twenty-two homers shy of 500 for his career, the forty-year-old McGriff only hit thirteen with a .249 batting average and spent a significant amount of time on the disabled list.

===Return to the Devil Rays (2004)===
During spring training in 2004, the Devil Rays re-signed McGriff.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1732128|title=Crime Dog not done? D-Rays to give McGriff shot|date=February 10, 2004|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1842085|title=Miller: Clubhouse confidential|date=July 18, 2004|website=ESPN.com}}</ref>

McGriff worked out for the New York Yankees three days after his release from Tampa Bay but the team ultimately didn't sign him.<ref>[https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/jul/29/mcgriff-works-out-for-yankees/ "McGriff Works Out for Yankees"] [[Associated Press]]. July 29, 2004.</ref> McGriff officially declared his retirement during spring training of 2005 when he received no calls from any teams requesting his services.

== Post-playing career ==
In January 2007, McGriff joined the Devil Rays as a special adviser.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114151427/mcgriff-devil-rays-special-adviser/ |title=McGriff Devil Ray's special adviser |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=2007-01-18 |accessdate=2022-12-05}}</ref> He stayed with the Rays until 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/braves-announce-two-hires-to-baseball-operations-department/c-108765120 | title=Braves Announce Two Hires to Baseball Operations Department | website=[[MLB.com]] | date=February 9, 2015 }}</ref> McGriff joined the Braves as a special assistant to the baseball operations department in 2015, working with their minor league players.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/fred-mcgriff-embraces-position-with-braves-c163041550|title=McGriff making most of special assistant role|website=MLB.com}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
[[File:Fred McGriff 2019.jpg|thumb|McGriff at [[Rogers Centre]] in 2019]]
McGriff ended his career with ten seasons of at least thirty home runs. He and [[Gary Sheffield]] are the only players ever to hit at least thirty home runs in one season for five different teams, with McGriff accomplishing the feat with Toronto three times, San Diego twice, and Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and the Chicago Cubs once each.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fred McGriff Batting Stats - Baseball-Reference.com |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgrifr01-bat.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gary Sheffield Stats - Baseball-Reference.com |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sheffga01.shtml?redir |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=June 21, 2004 |title=Schwarz: Ready Freddy? |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=schwarz_alan&id=1825488 |access-date=January 15, 2019 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref> He 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 (after [[Barry Bonds]] and [[Mark McGwire]]). During the latter period, he was eighth in the majors in the fWAR statistic ([[Wins Above Replacement]] as calculated by [[FanGraphs]]), behind six Hall of Famers and Bonds.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Bowman |first1=Mark |title=McGriff falls short of Hall in final year on ballot |url=https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/fred-mcgriff-falls-short-of-hall-induction/c-303012046 |access-date=January 23, 2019 |work=MLB.com |date=January 22, 2019}}</ref>

As of 2019, McGriff stood as one of only 16 players to record a career .280 batting average, .375 [[on-base percentage]], and .500 [[slugging percentage]] along with at least 490 home runs.<ref name=":0"/>

He became eligible for election to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[2010 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2010]]. In his first year of eligibility, he was named on 21.5% of the ballots cast by 10-year members of the [[Baseball Writers' Association of America]] (BBWAA); this fell short of the 75% requirement for induction, but surpassed the 5.0% threshold for continued eligibility on future BBWAA ballots.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2010/01/07/no-taint-little-help-to-mcgriff/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401224725/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2010/01/07/no-taint-little-help-to-mcgriff/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 1, 2023|title=NO TAINT LITTLE HELP TO MCGRIFF|access-date=April 1, 2023}}</ref> Over the next four elections, McGriff's vote percentage ranged from a high of 23.9% (137 votes) in [[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2012|2012]] to a low of 11.7% (67 votes) in [[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2014|2014]]. He remained eligible through 2019, when his time on the ballot expired after ten unsuccessful appearances.<ref name=":0"/> On his final ballot, McGriff achieved his highest vote total ever of 39.8% (169 votes), still short of the necessary 75%.<ref name=":0"/>

On December 4, 2022, it was announced that McGriff was [[2023 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|unanimously elected]] by the [[Veterans' Committee|Contemporary Era Committee]] to the Baseball Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |title=Baseball Hall of Fame results: Fred McGriff voted in by Veterans Committee; Barry Bonds falls short |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/baseball-hall-of-fame-results-fred-mcgriff-voted-in-by-veterans-committee-barry-bonds-falls-short/ |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=CBSSports.com |date=December 5, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> McGriff and [[Scott Rolen]] were formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 23, 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Doolittle |first1=Bradford |title=Fred McGriff, Scott Rolen inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38059864/fred-mcgriff-scott-rolen-inducted-baseball-hall-fame |access-date=July 24, 2023 |work=ESPN.com |date=July 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Leach |first1=Matthew |title=McGriff reflects on illustrious career: 'Fires can ignite the spark' |url=https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/fred-mcgriff-inducted-into-baseball-hall-of-fame |access-date=July 25, 2023 |work=MLB.com |date=July 23, 2023}}</ref>

During the press conference for his acceptance into the [[Baseball Hall Of Fame]], McGriff highlighted going to the Dominican Republic to play winter baseball just before and after his Major League debut with the Blue Jays in 1986. “It was the best thing I ever did because I got a chance to get extra at-bats. In that winter ball, they take things very seriously. And you were facing [[José Rijo]], [[Mario Melvin Soto|Mario Soto]], great pitchers," he said. He went on to encourage players who are starting their careers to play there.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlossberg |first=Dan |title=Fred McGriff Keeps Hall Of Fame Hat Logo A Mystery To Be Named Later |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschlossberg/2022/12/05/fred-mcgriff-keeps-hall-of-fame-hat-logo-a-mystery-to-be-named-later/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
McGriff married Veronica in 1988.<ref name="reserved"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Francis |first1=Bill |title=McGriff joins new teammates during Hall tour |url=https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/fred-mcgriff-tours-hall-of-fame |access-date=March 30, 2023 |work=MLB.com |date=March 28, 2023}}</ref> The couple raised two children.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gildea |first1=William |title=THE BRAVES ARE COOKIN' WITH MCGRIFF IN THE MIX |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1993/09/02/the-braves-are-cookin-with-mcgriff-in-the-mix/fb60c2ca-777e-4d60-9105-5e4b0a1f4570/ |newspaper=Washington Post |date=September 2, 1993}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=McGriff deal in 'holding pattern' |url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/0710/1224578.html |access-date=March 30, 2023 |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN.com |date=July 10, 2001}}</ref> McGriff lived in a custom-built home in Tampa from the mid-1990s to 2019, when it was sold.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor Martin |first1=Susan |title=Tampa home of former Major League Baseball slugger Fred McGriff sells for $2.45 million |url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida/2019/05/15/tampa-home-of-former-major-league-baseball-slugger-fred-mcgriff-sells-for-245-million/ |access-date=March 30, 2023 |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=May 15, 2019}}</ref>

McGriff's father Earl died of cancer in November 1999.<ref>{{cite news |title=McGriff's father dies |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1999/11/17/trammell-decides-to-go-west/ |access-date=July 25, 2023 |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=November 17, 1999}}</ref> His mother died in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |title=Eliza Delores McGriff |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tampabaytimes/name/eliza-mcgriff-obituary?id=33599128 |access-date=July 25, 2023 |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=November 2, 2017}}</ref>

McGriff appeared in commercials for [[Tom Emanski]]'s Baseball Fundamentals training videos in 1991.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kepner |first1=Tyler |title=Fred McGriff and the Endorsement That Lives Forever |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/fred-mcgriff-and-the-endorsement-that-lives-forever/ |access-date=July 25, 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=January 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Caple |first1=Jim |last2=Rovell |first2=Darren |title=Ironman of commercials |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/caple/030709.html |access-date=July 25, 2023 |work=ESPN.com}}</ref> The commercials ran for over a decade on [[ESPN]], making them the longest running sports [[infomercial]] on television.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2014/12/10/jaws-2015-hall-of-fame-ballot-fred-mcgriff|title=JAWS and the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot: Fred McGriff|last=Jaffe|first=Jay|publisher=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=10 December 2014|access-date=24 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/fred-mcgriff-s-top-moments|title=10 moments that defined Fred McGriff|last=Matheson|first=Keegan|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|date=18 February 2022|access-date=24 November 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Div col}}
* [[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 doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=118730 |espn=1510|br=m/mcgrifr01 |fangraphs=293 |brm=mcgrif001fre}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box | before = [[José Canseco]] | title = [[MLB Player of the Month|American League Player of the Month]]| years = April 1989| after = [[Ron Kittle]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Andrés Galarraga]] | title = [[MLB Player of the Month|National League Player of the Month]]| years = July 1993| after = [[Tony Gwynn]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{2023 Baseball HOF}}
{{AL home run champions}}
{{NL home run champions}}
{{Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs}}
{{AL 1B Silver Slugger Award}}
{{NL 1B Silver Slugger Award}}
{{1995 Atlanta Braves}}
{{Atlanta Braves HOF}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGriff, Fred}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Atlanta Braves players]]
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[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
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[[Category:Thomas Jefferson High School (Tampa, Florida) alumni]]
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