McGriff not inducted into Hall of Fame, falls off ballot

In his 10th and final opportunity to be voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, Fred McGriff received 39.8 percent of the votes, falling short of the 75-percent threshold needed for induction.

McGriff will now have to wait at least several more years before he can be inducted through other means.

McGriff played the final game of his 19-year career in 2004. He would end his career with 493 longballs and was one of just a few players in baseball history to surpass 200 home runs in both the American and National Leagues.

Originally drafted by the New York Yankees, McGriff was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, with whom he would begin his major league career. Eventually, he was again dealt, this time to the San Diego Padres, and then later to the Atlanta Braves. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays acquired him prior to the 1998 season.

After several seasons with Tampa Bay, McGriff would be traded for the final time of his career, as he would be dealt to the Chicago Cubs. In 2003, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers for a season. Then, in 2004, the Devil Rays gave him a shot to reach 500 home runs, but he fell short and was released in July.

McGriff was one of the best offensive players in the game, but unfortunately, this came during a time where the best of the best offensive players in the game were excelling. Still, McGriff put up a tremendous line of .284/.377/.509 with 493 home runs.

He was the model of consistency and durability. From 1988 to 2002, the only time he played in fewer than 144 games came during the strike-shortened 1994 season.

It’s a crime that the Crime Dog will not be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, but his time will come ... eventually.