Former GM Pat Gillick remembers Fred McGriff’s impact on Blue Jays
Pat Gillick has loads of reminiscences of Fred McGriff. Some are good and others are lower than savoury.
Like the time his spouse chided him for buying and selling the left-handed slugger.
It was December of 1990 and Gillick, then common supervisor of the Toronto Blue Jays, was at an airport in Chicago, able to depart the MLB winter conferences. He had simply traded first baseman McGriff and shortstop Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres for second baseman Roberto Alomar and outfielder Joe Carter.
The commerce hadn’t been introduced but, however Gillick felt it was crucial to tell his spouse, Doris, earlier than news bought out.
That’s as a result of McGriff was her favorite participant.
Gillick known as Doris on her cellphone and caught her whereas she was driving on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Toronto.
“I thought I’d better get a hold of you because it hasn’t been announced yet,” Gillick instructed her. “We just traded McGriff.”
There was a useless silence on the opposite finish whereas Gillick dreadfully awaited the response.
“Why don’t you get home as soon as possible before you screw up the team anymore?” Doris lastly answered.
Gillick can chortle about it now, as every little thing labored out and the commerce ended up serving to the Blue Jays recover from the hump to seize their first World Series title. But dealing McGriff stung on the time as a result of he was an essential participant throughout Gillick’s tenure as Blue Jays GM.
On Sunday, Gillick, together with the remainder of the baseball world, will probably be taking note of see if McGriff’s title makes headlines as soon as once more.
The Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee will convene Sunday on the winter conferences in San Diego to determine if McGriff will earn induction into the Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 2023. He joins Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro and Curt Schilling on the record of candidates for consideration. (Results will probably be introduced reside on MLB Network Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.)
McGriff hit 493 profession homers and posted a 52.6 profession WAR over his 19 MLB seasons with the Blue Jays, Padres, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was among the many greatest energy hitters of his era and has no reported connections to performance-enhancing medication, not like a few of his friends. A five-time all-star, McGriff gained the house run crown in each the American and National Leagues and, at one level, logged seven straight seasons of 30 homers (he completed that feat 10 occasions complete).
He debuted on the HOF poll in 2010 and, regardless of his spectacular numbers, McGriff’s BBWAA votes topped out at 39.8 per cent in 2019, his final yr of eligibility. He’s a participant whose recognition has fallen wanting his contemporaries and Gillick has by no means been capable of perceive why.
“I really can’t put a finger on that,” Gillick stated. “Five hundred homers was once the magic quantity to get within the Hall for a hitter. He was pushing there at 493 and wanted one other seven residence runs. He fielded the place very properly. I’d say he’s an above common first baseman, defensively. And his profession batting common (.284) and on-base share (.377) had been nice.
“He’s just fallen under the radar for some reason.”
For what it’s value, Gillick believes McGriff, who spent his first 5 seasons with the Blue Jays, must be enshrined within the Hall.
“I do,” stated Gillick, who was inducted into the Hall himself in 2011 as an govt. “I mean, look at the number of years he played in the big leagues. I think he has all the qualifications and then, he has longevity. He had quite a career in both leagues, which is unusual. He was productive.”
Sportsnet chatted with Gillick to make a journey down reminiscence lane and listen to a few of his recollections of McGriff.
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FINDING A GEM
Gillick took a visit to Florida in August of 1982 to look at a rookie-league recreation between the Blue Jays and New York Yankees’ Gulf Coast League golf equipment. He was there with Blue Jays scout Epy Guerrero to see promising 16-year-old right-hander Jose Mesa, who the crew had signed out of the Dominican Republic.
It turned out a Yankees participant snatched their consideration instantly.
McGriff, an 18-year-old who stood at six-foot-three, clubbed a ball to right-centre subject that went over the fence and onto the roof of the clubhouse, which was located behind the diamond.
“It probably went 425 feet,” recalled Gillick. “And he was just a kid at that time.”
The GM was impressed and remarked to Guerrero that the following time he labored on a commerce with the Yankees, Gillick ought to attempt to see if he may get McGriff included.
THE ULTIMATE THROW IN
Fast ahead to the winter conferences that very same yr in Hawaii and the Yankees had been expressing curiosity in Blue Jays reliever Dale Murray. Gillick managed to craft a bundle that may see Dave Collins and Mike Morgan coming to Toronto in change for Tom Dodd and Murray.
However, the deal was held up as a result of he wished the Yankees to throw in a 3rd participant.
Gillick figured that McGriff was low sufficient on the Yankees organizational depth chart at first base, particularly since there was a sizzling prospect named Don Mattingly tearing up the higher ranges of their minor-league system.
After going backwards and forwards with Gillick, Yankees GM Cedric Tallis lastly included McGriff in what ended up being a traditionally lopsided commerce for his group.
“You have to get lucky once in a while,” stated Gillick. “I simply occurred to be there on the correct day and Guerrero and I each noticed [McGriff] and determined he could be a man who would look good in a Blue Jays uniform.
“And, literally, three months later we’d be making a deal for him.”
DEVELOPMENT AS A BLUE JAY
Gillick and Guerrero’s instincts had been spot on — McGriff turned out to be a particular participant. He steadily progressed within the Blue Jays’ system and, in 1987, throughout his first full season within the majors, McGriff smacked 20 residence runs and posted an .881 OPS in 107 video games.
“He was a guy that all of a sudden got his feet on the ground and took off,” stated Gillick.
He launched 34 residence runs the following yr and in 1989, McGriff led the AL with 36 lengthy balls to associate with a whopping 165 OPS-plus, which additionally led the AL and ranked fifth within the majors. The Blue Jays moved to SkyDome from Exhibition Stadium in June of that season and Gillick thinks that if the membership stayed of their former residence for the whole season, McGriff’s numbers would have been even higher.
“If we’d have been in the old place, he probably would have hit 50 [home runs],” stated the previous GM. “The ball jumps at Exhibition Stadium more than it jumped in the SkyDome.”
PARTING WAYS
The Blue Jays misplaced to the Oakland Athletics within the 1989 AL Championship Series and didn’t make the post-season in 1990, inflicting Gillick to re-evaluate his crew. The GM determined {that a} change was wanted and when John Olerud broke into the massive leagues in 1990, it afforded Gillick some flexibility.
Olerud had been a delegated hitter that yr, with McGriff occupying first base. But Gillick felt that each males must be taking part in the sphere usually. McGriff was a longtime slugger and would internet extra of a return in a commerce, so, with Olerud greater than able to dealing with first, the GM checked out buying and selling McGriff if he may purchase a right-handed bat within the deal.
The Padres, who had slugger Joe Carter, seemed like a very good match, however Gillick was initially hesitant.
“I got to be honest with you,” he stated, “I really don’t think I would’ve given up McGriff for Carter, one for one.”
Gillick positioned a excessive worth on left-handed hitters — “In constructing clubs, I’ve always tried to have at least four left-handed hitters in a lineup at any time,” he stated — and was very conversant in Roberto Alomar, having pursued the switch-hitting infielder in Puerto Rico earlier than he signed as an beginner free agent with the Padres in 1985.
The Blue Jays GM expanded the deal to incorporate Alomar and added stalwart shortstop Tony Fernandez to stability issues out.
The relaxation was historical past — the new-look Blue Jays went on to seize back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993, whereas McGriff continued to place up spectacular energy numbers for the Padres after which the dynasty Braves of the mid-90s.
“It was tough,” Gillick stated of buying and selling away McGriff. “First of all, he was a very good teammate and good individual — on and off the sphere. High-standard man. Soft spoken. Easy to get together with.
“You have to give up a player with that makeup who has that physical ability and was very productive,” he added. “It was extremely difficult.”
A state of affairs that’s made much more tough whenever you’re buying and selling away your spouse’s favorite participant.
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