Should Fred McGriff be voted into the baseball Hall of Fame?

Yes

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by Jay Nolan

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The debate on whether Fred McGriff belongs in the Hall of Fame is a complex one. Based solely on his career statistics he has the overall numbers to get in. Fred was consistent throughout his playing career and put up excellent numbers. Unfortunately, he never put up monster numbers like Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx or Hank Greenberg. He was quiet and mostly played for good teams that didn't get much notoriety and he never promoted himself to the media like Reggie Jackson or Muhammad Ali.

When compared to the 18 first baseman who played in the major leagues and are already in the Hall of Fame, McGriff finishes in the top ten in eight major offensive categories: Years played, games played, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, home-runs and runs batted in. And he ranks third in actual games played at first base. Fred did not win a Gold Glove award during his career but Eddie Murray is the only Hall of Famer who has a higher fielding percentage than him

McGriff played in an era when a lot of excellent first basemen began their careers so he tends to get lost in the shuffle. When people start picking which first baseman should be in the Hall of Fame names like Jeff Bagwell, Will Clark, Mark Grace, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmeiro are mentioned. It's easier to compare these players statistically with Fred because each one them faced the same pitchers, had the same equipment and played in the same ball parks. There is no need to stretch the imagination and add the phrase "What if?"

Rafael Palmeiro is the only player who has better overall statistics than McGriff during this era. Both Palmeiro and McGwire also have the career milestones for the Hall of Fame; the 500 HR Club and the 3000 Hit Club (Palmeiro only). But I think they will have a hard time getting in because their names have been linked to steroids.

There are also a couple of first basemen from previous eras whose names have been tosses around a lot over the years. A strong argument can be made for Gil Hodges, Steve Garvey and Keith Hernandez. Each one may be considered one of the top two first basemen of their time. I wonder if Fred will ever get in the Hall of Fame since at least two of these men should be in already.

Fred was the epitome of consistency. For fifteen consecutive years Fred played an average of 144 games a season. He also averaged 31 HRs and 97 RBIs and maintained a career average of .284. He played in five All-Star games but never one an MVP. His star didn't burn the brightest but burned the most consistent. Without the same media notoriety as the Bagwells and McGwires of the time I think Fred will be overlooked for quite awhile.

Quietly Fred never had a down year, he never got hurt and played on teams that didn't finish lower than third place. In a surprising move of selflessness Fred signed with his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Rays finished last each year and never won more than 69 games the four seasons he played there. Regardless, Fred stuck it out even though he was nearing the 500 Home Run mark which would have assured him of a place in Cooperstown.

I compare Fred to two Hall of Famers, Don Sutton and Phil Niekro. Both men were consistent pitchers over a long period of time. They too avoided injury and were always near the top of the leader boards each year. But neither man put up the numbers that turned heads yet because of their consistency and longevity, each made the Hall of Fame.

The argument for Fred McGriff being elected to the Hall of Fame has been made clearer. His consistency, longevity and excellence at a position stocked with talent have afforded him the consideration. Plus being statistically one of the top ten men to have ever played first base in the history of the game should weigh heavily on the minds of the Writes when it becomes Fred's turn for election.

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