McGriff joins new teammates during Hall tour
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — It was just some days from the beginning of the 2023 large league common season and Fred McGriff, like another rookie, was watching his new teammates in amazement.
The Class of 2023 member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, throughout his first journey to Cooperstown was now sitting in a director’s chair surrounded by the 340 bronze plaques from the game’s most unique membership.
“It’s very special, and it’s humbling. Just this morning, walking through the Museum and seeing the artifacts. Now, the great players are in here in the Plaque Gallery,” stated McGriff, who visited the Hall of Fame on Tuesday as a part of his orientation tour. “To be part of this, it’s superior. It’s a blessing. It’s been nice.
“Cooperstown, it’s tough getting here. Living down in Florida, you didn’t get an opportunity to get up this way too much. So this is special.”
The lanky first baseman with nearly 500 profession residence runs was among the many eight former large league gamers that comprised the Contemporary Baseball Era Players poll that was voted upon on the Baseball Winter Meetings in San Diego on Dec. 4. The 16-member Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee elected McGriff unanimously, the one one to succeed in the 75-percent threshold wanted.
McGriff, nicknamed “Crime Dog” after the cartoon public service bloodhound McGruff the Crime Dog, shall be joined within the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 by Scott Rolen, who emerged from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting in January. The 2023 Induction Weekend is scheduled for July 21-24, with the induction on July 23.
McGriff, in a 19-year Major League profession between 1986 and 2004, was a five-time All-Star, received the Silver Slugger award for first base thrice and hit 30 or extra residence runs 10 instances. In 1995, he helped lead the Braves to their first world championship in Atlanta. In 10 postseason sequence, he batted .303 with 10 residence runs, 37 RBIs and 100 complete bases.
After wrapping up a morning tour of the museum along with his spouse, Veronica, McGriff took questions from the assembled media within the Plaque Gallery, not removed from the place his plaque shall be positioned after his induction this summer season.
“This day has just brought up so many great memories from over the years,” McGriff stated. “Playing first base, I got a chance to meet a lot of the guys that are in here. A lot of things going through your mind about talking to Cal Ripken at first base, being a teammate with Tony Gwynn, Greg Maddux, [John] Smoltz, the manager Bobby Cox and the opposing players like Frank Thomas. Just a lot of special memories.”
McGriff added, “Baseball, it’s an awesome sport, but it surely’s nearly like a fraternity. You’re speaking to a lot of the gamers each night time at first base — and also you don’t have a lot love for pitchers — however you benefit from the opposing gamers. It’s simply nice to be on this room and reminisce and take into consideration the previous. Earlier, watching the ‘Generations of the Game’ movie, rising up it was baseball 24/7 for myself. So simply numerous nice reminiscences making me take into consideration the previous.”
After getting into the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery for the primary time, he seen the plaques of Jackie Robinson, Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, Pat Gillick, Cox, Maddux and Smoltz, amongst others. He was then escorted to the place his plaque could be discovered starting after his induction this summer season and signed the plaque backer.
And the day’s experiences have been made extra particular along with his spouse by his facet the entire time.
“It’s awesome because she’s been with me this whole time over the years. We’re married 34 years,” he stated. “So she’s been by the great and the dangerous. Because with baseball, you might have success, however numerous failure. If you’re profitable at bat three out of 10 instances, you’re thought of an awesome participant. So you can also make numerous outs. You can have numerous oh-for-fours and numerous sleepless nights the place you’re at residence, and also you’re attempting to determine, ‘What am I gonna do tomorrow to attempt to get issues proper once more?'”
Asked whether or not it had sunk in but that he was now within the particular firm of the likes of Josh Gibson, Jimmie Foxx, Willie Mays and Buck O’Neil, the Tampa native, who nonetheless calls the Sunshine State residence, broke right into a broad smile.
“It’s getting there,” he stated. “It hit me a little bit simply driving in from Albany yesterday.
“Honestly, life hasn’t modified an excessive amount of. Just numerous congratulations. Come July with the induction, that’s when it would actually hit residence. Almost every day you’re occupied with this and that. Growing up in Tampa, a great distance from Cooperstown, and to be sitting right here proper now, it’s superior.”
He admits to getting Hall of Fame Weekend recommendation from quite a lot of Hall of Famers.
“Well, most of them told me to keep my speech short,” McGriff stated with fun. “Seriously, they just said just enjoy the moment and once you get past this speech then it’s smooth sailing after that. Everybody was happy for me and congratulating. Just enjoy this, they were saying, and it’s your day. So just enjoy your day.”
One of the numerous issues on McGriff’s thoughts is his induction speech, which he known as “a work in progress.”
“I mainly just want to thank a whole lot of people who helped me along the way,” McGriff stated. “With baseball when it comes to hitting you’re always picking guys’ brains. You learn a little bit from this guy, a little bit from that guy. So you’ve got to kind of make sure you don’t forget them.”
The 1994 All-Star Game MVP totaled 493 residence runs, which ties Lou Gehrig on the all-time listing for twenty ninth place, whereas main his league in homers twice. He was additionally the primary participant to hit 30 or extra residence runs for 5 completely different groups.
“Over the years with 493 home runs, everybody’s like, ‘You’re tied with Lou Gehrig with 493 home runs,’” McGriff stated. “So it was always special because he was considered a great ballplayer from what you read and heard.”
While splitting his Major League profession with the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, Cubs and Dodgers, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound McGriff reached the 100-RBI milestone eight instances and 6 years completed within the Top 10 of his league’s MVP voting. In complete, he compiled 2,490 hits, 1,550 RBIs, a .284 batting common, a .377 on-base proportion and a .509 slugging proportion.
Knowing his bronze plaque shall be right here for eternity for generations of household and followers to take pleasure in, McGriff smiled earlier than saying: “America, what a country. It’s beautiful. Now they can know about the Crime Dog.”
Recently it was introduced that McGriff’s plaque would sport a cap with no workforce brand, a observe that different current Hall of Famers reminiscent of Roy Halladay (2019), Catfish Hunter (1987), Tony La Russa (2014), Greg Maddux (2014) and Mike Mussina (2019) have embraced.
“I was blessed because I had some really good years in Atlanta — with the World Series — and Toronto and Tampa and San Diego, and so I said I’ve got to keep everybody happy,” McGriff defined. “I’ve had a great experience playing and a lot of great fans who supported me, so I couldn’t really get them too upset at me.”
