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Fred McGriff was unanimously elected to the MLB Hall of Fame’s class of 2023 on Sunday. McGriff was the Cotemporary Baseball Era Players Committee’s only selection among eight candidates, per MLB.
Fred McGriff is headed to Cooperstown! He’s been elected to the @baseballhall by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee. pic.twitter.com/I9cmJ8SlXL
— MLB (@MLB) December 5, 2022
A Long Time Coming for McGriff
This was McGriff’s first appearance on an Eras ballot, after dropping off the Baseball Writer’s Association ballot last year. McGriff spent the maximum 10 years on the writer’s ballot without getting the necessary 75% of votes for election.
Despite his inability to be elected by the Baseball Writer’s Association, McGriff had no problem acquiring votes on the Eras ballot. His name appeared on all 16 ballots cast, and he will be inducted on July 23, 2023, in Cooperstown, New York.
McGriff appeared on a videoconference shortly after learning he was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to Fred McGriff 👏
The newly-elected Hall of Famer joined us on #MLBTonight after learning he was headed to the @baseballhall! pic.twitter.com/iih7VvVf8v
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 5, 2022
A Strong Career
Throughout his professional career, McGriff played for six Major League teams — the Toronto Blue Jays, the San Diego Padres, the Atlanta Braves, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was initially drafted by the New York Yankees in the ninth round of the 1981 MLB Draft. He was then traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1982 before making his professional debut in 1986.
By the time of his retirement in 2005, McGriff had set multiple records. He became the first player in history to have 30 or more home runs for five different teams. He also became the first player to be the single-season home run leader in each league since the Dead Ball Era, as reported by the New York Times.
At the end of his 19-season career, McGriff had put up several stats. He racked up 2,490 hits, 493 home runs, 1,550 RBI and 1,305 walks.
Eighteen years after his retirement, he will be inducted into the MLB’s Hall of Fame in 2023.
