Fred McGriff
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Frederick Stanley "Crime Dog" McGriff (born October 31, 1963 in Tampa, Florida) is a left-handed Major League Baseball player who has starred for several teams since the mid-1980s. A power-hitting first baseman, the 5-time All-Star became, in 1992, the first player since the dead ball era to lead both leagues in home runs. Although he has never hit more than 37 homers in a single season, he finished the 2003 campaign only 9 homers away from joining the exclusive company of those who have hit 500. He won a World Series title with the Atlanta Braves in 1995.
His nickname "Crime Dog" was bestowed on him by ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman, noted for his unusual and idiosyncratic player nicknames. The nickname is a play on McGruff, a cartoon dog created for American police to raise children's awareness on crime prevention. Unlike most of Berman's nicknames, the "Crime Dog" nickname entered into standard usage.
In 2004, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays re-signed McGriff in hopes of letting the veteran ballplayer hit 500 home runs. He played from 1998-2001 with the Rays. Unfortunately, he ended up with a .181 average and hit just 2 home runs in his sporadic play from the end of May until mid-July. The Devil Rays released McGriff on Saturday, July 17, 2004. He now has 493 career home runs and is currently unemployed. Rumors had it that McGriff would join the Chicago White Sox following Frank Thomas' major injury, but they chose not to sign McGriff.
He has appeared in commercials for Tom Emanski Baseball Training videos on ESPN since 1991. The longest current running commercial on the network.
Teams
- Toronto Blue Jays (1986-1990)
- San Diego Padres (1991-1993)
- Atlanta Braves (1993-1997)
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-2001, 2004)
- Chicago Cubs (2001-2002)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (2003)
External links
Categories: 1992 National League All-Stars | 1994 National League All-Stars | 1995 National League All-Stars | 1996 National League All-Stars | 2000 American League All-Stars | Atlanta Braves players | Chicago Cubs players | Los Angeles Dodgers players | San Diego Padres players | Tampa Bay Devil Rays players | Toronto Blue Jays players | Major league first basemen | 1963 births