Tag / Fred McGriff

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Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders



The Hall of Fame Class of 2025, featuring hitters Ichiro Suzuki, Dick Allen, and Dave Parker, gets enshrined in Cooperstown today.  Though I’ve only seen one of the three new Hall of Famers play live, let’s check back in with the leaders on the offensive side of the ball amongst Hall of Famers for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2024.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jim Thome 35
Frank Thomas 15
Scott Rolen 7
David Ortiz 6
Vladimir Guerrero 6

Hits

Name Total
Jim Thome 110
Frank Thomas 54
Joe Mauer 43
Ken Griffey Jr 32
Fred McGriff 28

Runs

Name Total
Jim Thome 82
Frank Thomas 42
Joe Mauer 19
David Ortiz 16
Scott Rolen 14

RBI

Name Total
Jim Thome 84
Frank Thomas 38
Fred McGriff 23
David Ortiz 19
Continue reading →
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Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders



The Hall of Fame Class of 2024, Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer, and veterans committee choice Jim Leyland, get enshrined in Cooperstown today.  With three new hitters joining the list of Hall of Famers I’ve seen play live, let’s check back in with the leaders on the offensive side of the ball amongst Hall of Famers for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2023.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jim Thome 35
Frank Thomas 15
Scott Rolen 7
David Ortiz 6
Vladimir Guerrero 6

Hits

Name Total
Jim Thome 110
Frank Thomas 54
Joe Mauer 43
Ken Griffey Jr. 32
Fred McGriff 28

Runs

Name Total
Jim Thome 82
Frank Thomas 42
Joe Mauer 19
David Ortiz 16
Scott Rolen 14

RBI

Name Total
Jim Thome 84
Frank Thomas 38
Fred McGriff 23
David Ortiz 19
Continue reading →
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Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders



The Hall of Fame Class of 2023, former Phillie and Cardinal third baseman Scott Rolen and veterans committee choice Fred McGriff, get enshrined in Cooperstown today.  With two new hitters joining the list of Hall of Famers I’ve seen play live, let’s check back in with the leaders on the offensive side of the ball amongst Hall of Famers for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2022.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jim Thome 35
Frank Thomas 15
Scott Rolen 7
David Ortiz 6
Vladimir Guerrero 6

Hits

Name Total
Jim Thome 110
Frank Thomas 54
Ken Griffey Jr 32
Fred McGriff 28
Scott Rolen 25

Runs

Name Total
Jim Thome 82
Frank Thomas 42
David Ortiz 16
Scott Rolen 14
Ken Griffey Jr. 12

RBI

Name Total
Jim Thome 84
Frank Thomas 38
Fred McGriff 23
David Ortiz 19
Continue reading →
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Party Of One

The baseball world had turned its attention to snowy hamlet of Cooperstown in upstate New York, where the votes were tallied and the 2023 Hall of Fame class is now complete with one additional member.  Former Phillies and Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen scored 76.3% of the vote to earn enshrinement in his sixth election.

Four others tallied greater than 50% of the vote, led by Todd Helton, who jumped up to 72.2% and seems like a lock to be elected next year.  Billy Wagner came in with 68.1% and has two more attempts to make it over 75%.  Andruw Jones got a big lift, jumping up to 58.1%.  Finally, Gary Sheffield, with just one election left, rises to 55% and looks unlikely to make that final jump in his last year.

On the local front, Manny Ramirez, who spent a little more than a month with the White Sox, saw a small increase in support, finishing with 33.2% of the vote thanks to his multiple PED suspensions.  The disgraced Omar Vizquel, accused of both sexual abuse of an autistic teen and spousal abuse since being added to the ballot, dropped even more, down to 19.5%.  Jimmy Rollins, who spent the final 41 games of his career on the south side, picked up 12.9% in his second go-around.  Mark Buehrle jumped back up to 10.8% in his third time on the ballot, living to fight another day.  Former Cub pitcher John Lackey nabs a single vote.

Thirteen players will fall off the ballot after failing to score 5% of the vote.

As for the newest Hall of Famer, I’ve seen Rolen play 18 times.  He joins Fred McGriff, who was elected by the veteran’s committees in December, in the class of 2023.  They will both get their day in the sun on Sunday, July 23.

Scott Rolen’s numbers in games I’ve attended were:

Continue reading →

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The Crime Dog Solves The Case

The new Contemporary Era Committee announced the results of their vote Sunday night, inducting former Cub first baseman Fred McGriff into the Hall of Fame with 100% of the vote.  McGriff, whose 18-year career also included tours with the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, and Dodgers, fell off the BBWAA ballot in 2019 after his tenth year, earning just 39.8% of the vote.

With the Cubs becoming surprise contenders in the 2001 season, they acquired McGriff from the Devil Rays.  The Crime Dog held up his part of the bargain down the stretch, putting up a .942 OPS with 12 home runs in 49 games with the Cubs.  Unfortunately, the pitching fell apart as the Cubs went 23-28 in August and September, finishing five games behind the Astros and Cardinals.  At age 38, McGriff returned to the Cubs in 2002, posting a .858 OPS and 125 OPS+ to go along with 30 homers and 103 runs batted in.  The rest of the Cubs, however, were butt, going through three managers and finishing with a 67-95 record.  McGriff became a free agent following the season.

Players needed twelve of the sixteen votes to gain election.  Don Mattingly finished second, with eight votes, followed by Curt Schilling, with seven, and Dale Murphy with six.  Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Rafael Palmeiro each received fewer than four votes.

Fred McGriff’s numbers in games I’ve attended were:

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By The Numbers – 29

In 1929, uniform numbers appeared on the back of baseball jerseys for the first time, thanks to the Indians and the Yankees.  By 1937, numbers finally appeared across all uniforms, both home and away, across both major leagues.  Since that time, 81 distinct numbers have been worn by members of the White Sox, while the Cubs boast 76.

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #29.  85 different players have donned #30 while playing in Chicago, 35 for the White Sox and 50 for the Cubs.

Jack McDowell, selected as the fifth overall pick in the 1987 draft, switched to #29 when, after spending the entire 1989 season in Triple A, he returned to the majors for good in 1990, helping to lead a surprising White Sox team to a 94-68 record and a season long battle with the A’s for the AL West crown.  McDowell finished with a 14-9 record and a 3.82 ERA and nearly doubled his strikeout total from 1988 in only about 50 more innings.  Expectations were high as the White Sox moved into their new stadium in 1991 and McDowell was up to the challenger, earning his first All Star game selection on his way to a 17-10 record and a 3.41 ERA, good enough for a 9th place finish in Cy Young Award voting.

1992 was even better for McDowell.  He earned his second straight All Star Game nod, pitching a scoreless second inning and retiring Fred McGriff, Terry Pendleton, and Andy Van Slyke in order.  He ended up with a 20-10 record and a 3.18 ERA, good enough for a 2nd place finish in Cy Young Award voting, behind Dennis Eckersley, and 19th place in MVP voting.  Everything came together for the White Sox and McDowell in 1993.  As the team ran off to their first division title in a decade, McDowell led the league with 22 victories and 4 shutouts, ending at 22-10 with a 3.37 ERA.  He nabbed his 3rd straight All Star selection, earning the victory while throwing a scoreless 5th inning, and finally claimed his first Cy Young Award.  He also finished 9th in MVP voting, behind teammate Frank Thomas.  McDowell made 2 starts during the ALCS against the Blue Jays, losing both and giving up 10 runs total in 9 innings pitched.

The 1994 season again had high expectations for the White Sox and McDowell.  Unfortunately, those expectations would be squashed, not on the field, where the White Sox held first place in the newly formed AL Central division, but in the boardrooms, where the end of the 1994 season and the post season were cancelled due to a work stoppage.  In just 25 starts, his fewest since 1987, McDowell went 10-9 with a 3.73 ERA.  In December, with the 1995 season in doubt, McDowell was traded to the Yankees, for Keith Heberling and a player to be named later who turned out to be Lyle Mouton.

On the north side of town, the Cubs were surprise contenders in the 2001 season.  Looking to improve their chances of making the post-season, they acquired Fred McGriff from the Devil Rays.  Wearing #29, the Crime Dog held up his part of the bargain down the stretch, putting up a .942 OPS with 12 home runs in 49 games with the Cubs.  Unfortunately, the pitching did not hold up as the Cubs went 23-28 in August and September, finishing five games behind the Astros and Cardinals.  At age 38, McGriff returned to the Cubs in 2002, posting a .858 OPS and 125 OPS+ to go along with 30 homers and 103 runs batted in.  The rest of the Cubs, however, were butt, going through thee managers and finishing with a 67-95 record.  McGriff became a free agent following the season.

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By The Numbers – 72

In 1929, uniform numbers appeared on the back of baseball jerseys for the first time, thanks to the Indians and the Yankees.  By 1937, numbers finally appeared across all uniforms, both home and away, across both major leagues.  Since that time, 81 distinct numbers have been worn by members of the White Sox, while the Cubs boast 76.

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #72.  A grand total of 3 players have donned the number while playing in Chicago, 1 of whom is enshrined in Cooperstown.

When Carlton Fisk joined the White Sox in 1981, #27, which he wore with the Red Sox, was taken, so he switched the numerals around and became the first player in White Sox history to don #72.  12 years later, Fisk left the White Sox as the all time major league leader in games caught, home runs as a catcher, home runs after the age of 40, and most seasons as a catcher.  He was also the career home run leader for the White Sox.  #72 was retired in his honor on September 14, 1997 and he was elected to the Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2000.

Robert Machado gave up his #29 when the Cubs acquired Fred McGriff at the trade deadline in 2001, becoming the first Cub to don #72.  He wore the number for the rest of his Cub career, which lasted until June 9, 2002, when he was traded to the Brewers.

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2019 Hall Of Fame Election Thoughts


All eyes turned towards the small hamlet of Cooperstown yesterday, as the votes were tallied and four new members were announced as the Hall of Fame class of 2019: Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, and Mike Mussina.  Rivera, in his first year of eligibility, becomes the first player ever to be elected with 100% of the vote.  Halladay, who passed away in 2017, earned 85.4% in his first year on the ballot.  Martinez, in his tenth and final year of eligibility, also found himself on 85.4% of the ballots.  Mussina snared 76.7% of the vote in his sixth year on the ballot, just 7 votes more than the minimum needed for enshrinement.

Four others tallied greater than 50% of the vote, led by Curt Schilling, who jumped up to 60.9%.  Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds saw modest increases, which makes their eventual induction unlikely with only three more elections for each.  Larry Walker, heading in to his final shot on the ballot, saw a huge increase, going from 34.1% to 54.6%.  Fred McGriff scored 39.8% of the vote in his final go around.

Michael Young, Lance Berkman, and Miguel Tejada led the list of 16 players who failed to get 5% and will drop off the ballot, including local stars Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland, Ted Lilly, and Juan Pierre.

As for the newest Hall of Famers, I’ve seen Rivera pitch 9 times, followed by 6 career games for Martinez, 3 for Mussina, and 2 for Halladay.  These 4, along with Harold Baines and Lee Smith, who were previously elected by the Today’s Game Era Committee, will enter the Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 21.

Mariano Rivera’s numbers in games I’ve attended were: Continue reading →

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#12 – Jack McDowell

Name: Jack McDowell

Rank: 12

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1987-1988, 1990-1994

Jack McDowell was selected as the fifth overall pick in the 1987 draft by the White Sox.  After 6 appearances split between Rookie ball and AA, he made his major league debut September 15, throwing 7 shutout innings and earning the win against the Twins at Comiskey Park.  He made 3 more starts to finish out the season, ending with a 3-0 record, a 1.93 ERA, and a seemingly bright future on the South Side.

In 1988, the success McDowell saw in his first stint in the big leagues was hard to find.  In 158.2 innings pitched, he struck out only 84 batters while walking 68.  While his ERA was a respectable 3.97, he finished with a 5-10 record.

Injuries, and a 6.13 ERA in 16 starts for AAA Vancouver, kept McDowell out of the big leagues in 1989.  He returned to the majors for good in 1990 and helped lead a surprising White Sox team to a 94-68 record and a season long battle with the A’s for the AL West crown.  McDowell finished with a 14-9 record and a 3.82 ERA and nearly doubled his strikeout total from 1988 in only about 50 more innings.

Expectations were high as the White Sox moved into their new stadium in 1991.  McDowell earned his first All Star game selection on his way to a 17-10 record and a 3.41 ERA.  Those numbers were good enough for a 9th place finish in Cy Young Award voting.

1992 was even better for McDowell.  He earned his second straight All Star Game nod, pitching a scoreless second inning and retiring Fred McGriff, Terry Pendleton, and Andy Van Slyke in order.  When all was said and done, he ended up with a 20-10 record and a 3.18 ERA, good enough for a 2nd place finish in Cy Young Award voting, behind Dennis Eckersley, and 19th place in MVP voting.

Everything came together for the White Sox and McDowell in 1993.  As the team ran off to their first division title in a decade, McDowell led the league with 22 victories and 4 shutouts, ending at 22-10 with a 3.37 ERA.  He nabbed his 3rd straight All Star selection, earning the victory while throwing a scoreless 5th inning, and finally claimed his first Cy Young Award.  He also finished 9th in MVP voting, behind teammate Frank Thomas.  McDowell made 2 starts during the ALCS against the Blue Jays, losing both and giving up 10 runs total in 9 innings pitched.

The 1994 season again had high expectations for the White Sox and McDowell.  Unfortunately, those expectations would be squashed, not on the field, where the White Sox held first place in the newly formed AL Central division, but in the boardrooms, where the end of the 1994 season and the post season were cancelled due to a work stoppage.  In just 25 starts, his fewest since 1987, McDowell went 10-9 with a 3.73 ERA.

In December, with the 1995 season in doubt, McDowell was traded to the Yankees, for Keith Heberling and a player to be named later who turned out to be Lyle Mouton.

McDowell’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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2019 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Holdovers


baseballhofThe BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2019 yesterday. The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 22nd, with induction taking place next July. After Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman were elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 15 holdovers along with 20 newcomers, which may continue the logjam caused by the current BBWAA rules which limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10 and the ongoing refusal by some writers to vote for players tainted by PEDs, leaving too many qualified candidates fighting for limited spots.

Let’s take a look at the returning candidates today before moving on to the newcomers.

Barry Bonds
Years on ballot: 6
2018 Percentage: 56.4

The all time home run champion saw his vote percentage rise for the fourth straight time last year, so the PED bias holding him back may be subsiding.  With only 4 more shots with the writers, it remains to be seen if he has enough time to get up to 75%.

Roger Clemens
Years on ballot: 6
2018 Percentage: 57.3

Roger Clemens, he of the 354 career victories and 7 Cy Young awards, also found himself with a fourth consecutive rise after his sixth run through the voting process.  For some odd reason, perhaps by having played for more teams, Clemens continues to get marginally more support than his fellow PED poster child Barry Bonds.

Andruw Jones
Years on ballot: 1
2018 Percentage: 7.3

If voters were to stick to his first 11 seasons, Jones looks like a shoe-in for the Hall.  His last 7 seasons, though, were so bad that it makes it hard to consider him.  Based on his initial vote total, those final seasons seem to be holding sway.

Jeff Kent
Years on ballot: 5
2018 Percentage: 14.5

The 2000 NL MVP saw his vote percentage go in the wrong direction last year.  He still has a long way to go and not a whole lot of time left, so the future does not look good for him.

Edgar Martinez
Years on ballot: 9
2018 Percentage: 70.4

The longtime DH for the Mariners saw another big jump last year, but has 1 last shot to make up that remaining 5%.

Fred McGriff
Years on ballot: 9
2018 Percentage: 23.2
Continue reading →