Former MLB first baseman Fred McGriff has been inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame, and Chipper Jones and Greg Maddow have shared their thoughts.
Former MLB player Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff has finally been made into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame, and it’s a long time coming. Many are rightly excited about the selection, including former Atlanta Braves teammates Chipper Jones and Greg Maddox.
Jones shared his admiration for McGriff in an interview with David O’Brien the athlete (Subscription required, but excerpts shared by O’Brien on Twitter).
“No disrespect to Harold Baines or anyone like that, but Freddie McGriff could light a fire. Five hundred homers, and he was my bodyguard for my first two or three years in the league—and man, he got me a bunch of fastballs.”
Maddox had a funny congratulatory message to McGriff, mercilessly throwing former teammate John Smoltz under the bus.
Of course, the commentary was totally flattering and as both players participated, McGriff deeply deserves his place in the Hall of Fame.
Fred McGriff really earned his place in the Hall of Fame
McGriff had a truly legendary career. He finished his career with 493 home runs, tied with fellow Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig. He received 16 panel votes, making it a completely unanimous vote, which doesn’t happen often.
Throughout his career, he played for six different teams, played in five All-Star games and won a World Series with the Atlanta Braves. He was also awarded the All-Star MVP Award in 1994.
He quickly emerged as one of the hardest hitters in the league, finishing his 19-season career smashing .284/.377/.509 in an OPS of .886. he is He led the league several times in home runs, including in 1989 (36) with the Toronto Blue Jays and in 1992 (35) with the San Diego Padres. In 1989, he also had the league’s best OPS (0.924).
So far, he’s the only one named to the Hall of Fame’s class of 2023, and he was clearly one of the best choices the committee could make.
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