Crime Dog part of multiple history-making trades
Whenever somebody reaches the Baseball Hall of Fame, his profession will likely be revisited and his stats, awards and different accolades will likely be magnified. But within the case of the newest man to be elected to Cooperstown, former slugging first baseman Fred McGriff, there’s one other tab on the Baseball Reference web page that should be of curiosity: the Transactions web page.
Few Hall of Famers have been concerned in as many consequential trades as McGriff has. It makes for an interesting sidebar to the Crime Dog’s illustrious profession as he prepares to be inducted at Cooperstown subsequent summer season.
Here’s a have a look at these offers, which had massive implications for baseball within the Eighties and ’90s:
Dec. 9, 1982: One of the worst trades in Yankees historical past
Yankees get: OF Tom Dodd, RHP Dale Murray
Blue Jays get: 1B Fred McGriff, OF/1B Dave Collins, RHP Mike Morgan
The Yankees drafted McGriff out of highschool within the ninth spherical of the 1981 MLB Draft, and the lanky first baseman spent two skilled seasons within the group earlier than being despatched to the Blue Jays as a part of a five-player deal.
The 18-year-old McGriff had 10 dwelling runs to his title in 298 Rookie stage at-bats on the time of the swap, during which the Yanks additionally despatched outfielder/first baseman Dave Collins and right-handed pitcher Mike Morgan to Toronto in change for Minor League outfielder Tom Dodd and right-handed pitcher Dale Murray.
When it was all mentioned and accomplished, Murray had posted a 4.73 ERA in two-plus seasons for the Yankees, whereas Dodd reached the Majors in 1986, and after showing in eight video games that yr, by no means performed in one other MLB recreation. McGriff, in the meantime, additionally made his big-league debut in 1986, enjoying in three video games. But he went on to belt 125 homers to go together with a .920 OPS for Toronto from 1987-90. He was so good, the truth is, that no certified batter had a better OPS+ (154) over that span than McGriff.
Another participant within the McGriff deal additionally yielded outcomes for the Jays — Collins led the AL with 15 triples and posted an .811 OPS for Toronto in 1984 earlier than being traded to Oakland with Alfredo Griffin for right-handed reliever Bill Caudill, who turned in a 2.99 ERA in 67 appearances for the Blue Jays in ’85.
Dec. 5, 1990: A blockbuster for the ages organising back-to-back World Series titles
Blue Jays get: 2B Roberto Alomar, OF Joe Carter
Padres get: 1B Fred McGriff, SS Tony Fernandez
Two Hall of Famers. Two five-time All-Stars. This transaction between Toronto and San Diego was the definition of a blockbuster, involving the eighth-most mixed wins above alternative of any commerce in MLB historical past.
The Blue Jays dealt McGriff and second baseman Tony Fernandez, who on the time was a three-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, to the Padres in change for future Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar and a participant who would launch one of the vital well-known homers in World Series historical past, Joe Carter.
That was a three-run shot within the backside of the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, which received all of it for the Jays over the Phillies. Carter’s blast off Philadelphia nearer Mitch Williams immediately turned an iconic second within the recreation’s historical past. Alomar hit .480 with two doubles, a triple and 4 steals in that Fall Classic, and the yr prior, he helped lead Toronto to its first World Series championship by hitting .423 with a double, two homers and 5 steals to seize MVP honors within the American League Championship Series towards the A’s.
All of that was simply the postseason — each Carter and Alomar have been sensational within the common season throughout their Toronto tenures, as nicely. Carter was a five-time All-Star and launched 203 homers over seven seasons in a Blue Jays uniform, whereas Alomar earned an All-Star choice and a Gold Glove Award in every of his 5 seasons with the membership, hitting .308/.382/.451 over that span.
McGriff’s time with the Padres was brief, however productive. In two-plus seasons with San Diego, he had a .906 OPS with 84 homers in 388 video games. Fernandez had an excellent shorter Padres profession, enjoying in 300 video games for San Diego from 1991-92, incomes an All-Star choice in ’92. The Padres dealt each gamers, in addition to star slugger Gary Sheffield by the center of the ’93 marketing campaign — Fernandez was despatched to the Mets after the ’92 season (he was then traded again to the Blue Jays in June of ’93), McGriff to the Braves and Sheffield to the Marlins.
July 18, 1993: McGriff sparks Atlanta to epic division comeback
Padres get: OF Melvin Nieves, RHP Donnie Elliott, RF Vince Moore
Braves get: 1B Fred McGriff
Even earlier than he may present the spark that fueled the Braves to an unbelievable second half in 1993, one which resulted in a National League West crown that marked the fruits of one of many biggest pennant races in baseball historical past, one other fireplace had already erupted at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on the very day McGriff was to make his Braves debut.
On July 20, the press field and radio cubicles on the ballpark caught fireplace, leading to a pricey blaze that was put out previous to recreation time. Just a few hours later, McGriff despatched the house followers right into a frenzy by belting a game-tying homer within the sixth inning of a contest the Braves would win over the Cardinals, 8-5. It was an indication of issues to come back: McGriff posted a 1.004 OPS with 19 homers in 68 video games down the stretch for Atlanta, serving to the membership erase an eight-game deficit behind the Giants to win its third straight division title.
While the Braves wouldn’t win that elusive World Series title that October after falling brief within the Fall Classic in every of the prior two years, McGriff helped cause them to the primary World Series championship because the franchise moved to Atlanta with a six-game victory over Cleveland in 1995. In all, McGriff hit 130 homers and had an .885 OPS for the Braves from 1993-97.
The Padres, in the meantime, didn’t get something close to that type of manufacturing from their return within the McGriff deal — Nieves slashed .207/.278/.407 in three seasons (127 video games) for San Diego earlier than being traded to the Tigers, Moore by no means reached the Majors, and Elliott had a 3.27 ERA in 31 appearances (one begin) for the Padres in ’94, however solely made one MLB look after that.
For the Braves in 1993, buying McGriff from San Diego turned out to be among the finest Trade Deadline strikes of all time.
We don’t but know which cap McGriff’s plaque will show when it’s offered and hung within the gallery of the Baseball Hall of Fame subsequent July, however one factor is for certain: That plaque, regardless of the emblem on the cap could also be, will characteristic a synoptic account of a profession that was distinctive amongst Hall of Famers for the route it took to immortality.
