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McGriff Knows Feeling

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 6, 2008

Former first baseman Fred McGriff enjoys the good life now, working as a special adviser for the Rays, serving as a broadcaster, still carrying enough of a presence in his hometown to have people approach for an autograph.

He is pleased to see the Rays in a pennant race.

He knows what that is like.

In 1993, McGriff became the key figure in one of baseball's greatest pennant races.

"There will never be another one like it," said McGriff, 44, the former Jefferson High standout, who finished with 493 career home runs.

Baseball's wild-card format has taken some of the drama from September, when teams knew they had to win a division in order to advance.

In 1993, McGriff was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Atlanta Braves on July 18. That week, the Braves would be trailing the San Francisco Giants by 10 games.

What followed was a frantic chase in which the Braves caught and passed the Giants in September, took a comfortable lead of their own, then it settled into a dramatic final day. The Braves beat the Rockies 5-3. The Giants were rocked by the Dodgers 12-1.

The National League West looked like this:

Final Standings

A few hours before facing the St. Louis Cardinals on July 20, the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium press box went up in flames and the stadium was evacuated. A news conference to introduce McGriff was scheduled for that area, but he hadn't arrived.

"It's still kind of funny, what really happened," McGriff said. "When I got traded, I had some bad ribs and I told Braves GM John Schuerholz about it. They let me go home to Tampa for a few days. I was still hurting, and I was driving up to Atlanta. Figured I'd get there about game time. I didn't expect to play.

"When I get there, the place is on fire and they've pushed the game back. Manager Bobby Cox is asking if I can play. I'm like, 'I'll try.' So I'm getting treatment, getting my ribs ready. The game starts way late and I end up being in the lineup. The rest, I guess, is history."

The Cardinals took a 5-0 lead, but McGriff hit a long home run to tie it and the Braves prevailed, 8-5.

In his first dozen games with Atlanta, McGriff hit .422 with seven homers and 12 RBIs. In the final 68 games, McGriff hit .310 with 19 homers and 55 RBIs.

McGriff was still there in 1995, when the Braves won their only World Series.

"Those years, we were expected to go to the World Series - and if we didn't, the whole season was a failure," said McGriff, who played with six major-league teams, including two stints with the Rays. "That made it tough, almost bittersweet. We would win the regular season, and the celebration was just so-so. It's almost like we missed out on the joy of that.

"It's totally different for the Rays, of course. There's no pressure on them because there were no expectations. They can play loose. The pressure is on the Red Sox and Yankees. Now, if they make the playoffs? The expectations then? Different story. That's why the first time is always the best."

McGriff said he's content with his contributions, although he would have loved a few more World Series rings. His home run totals - particularly in light of baseball's recent steroids scandal - have held up well.

Until this week.

Detroit Tigers designed hitter Gary Sheffield, from Hillsborough High, bashed his 494th career homer, putting him one ahead of McGriff in one of baseball's little-known statistical categories.

Most home runs, Tampa native.

Sheffield, once a McGriff teammate with the Padres, playfully told Detroit writers it was the record he would most cherish.

"Tell Gary I might have to come back and hit a few more," McGriff said.

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353 or jjohnston@tampatrib.com.

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