COOPERSTOWN, NY — Fred McGriff enjoyed the opportunity to play at home during parts of five seasons with the expansion Rays, but — having never finished a season on a sub.-500 team before joining them — didn’t hide how hard the losing was on him.
Sunday, during his Hall of Fame induction speech, McGriff was brief in mentioning his time with the Rays and focused on the benefits of the November 1997 trade from the Braves, where he had been on four postseason teams, including a 1995 World Series winner, which he called “the proudest team moment” of his career.
“I got an opportunity to go home and play in front of family and friends when I joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and be part of the first season of big-league baseball in the Tampa area,” McGriff said.
Plus, he got to play with Wade Boggs, another Tampa product who reached the Hall of Fame. “He helped me out tremendously,” McGriff said. “We had a nice little two-hour conversation and we talked hitting. When I was in the minors, I looked for a lot of breaking balls, and I guessed and so forth.
“Wade told me, ‘Fred, look for that fastball on every pitch.’ And I did, and it worked. So to Wade, thank you.”
Boggs, seated a few rows behind McGriff on the stage, pumped his fist.
The Rays, who co-hosted a Saturday party with the Braves and Blue Jays, had a contingent of team personnel on hand Sunday, including team president Matt Silverman, baseball operations president Erik Neander, vice president Devin O’Connell, and longtime staffers Tom Foley and RJ Harrison.
Familiar faces
Longtime big-league player and hitting coach Dave Magadan, sitting in the audience Sunday, was humbled and honored to be mentioned prominently in McGriff’s speech, and he was thrilled at his close friend’s accomplishment.
“This is pretty cool,” Magadan said. “To have been teammates in the West Tampa Little League and played in the majors during the same time and now to see him in the Hall of Fame, it’s almost surreal.”
The two worked out together regularly during offseasons throughout their pro careers.
“Me and Dave would throw batting practice to each other, then hit ground balls to one another to try to get us ready for spring training,” McGriff said. “Most of the time at Dave’s old high school, Tampa Jesuit, where the students would come out and shag for us while me and Dave were hitting. It was awesome. We didn’t have to pick up the balls or nothing.”
McGriff turned out to be the better player, and Magadan may have had a hand in that.
“Dave threw me nothing but strikes,” McGriff said. “It was great. He got me ready. Then when I threw to Dave, I was all over the place. I hit him a few times.”
Magadan was the only former Tampa-area big-leaguer, besides Boggs, that McGriff knew was coming. Tony Saunders was the only other Ray (besides Boggs) among former McGriff teammates, along with Mark Lemke, Rob Ducey, Cecil Fielder and those in the Hall. Magadan noted at least one of their former Little League teammates, Freddie Langiotti.
Miscellaneous
McGriff’s relatives at the ceremony included his wife, children, grandchildren, older brother and sisters, in-laws, and, as he said, “family that I didn’t know I had.” … There were 48 previously inducted Hall of Famers on hand. …. McGriff joined Boggs, Al Lopez and Tony La Russa as Tampa Bay area products in the Hall; a fifth could join them next year as longtime player and manager Lou Piniella will be up for committee vote and likely among the favourites. …. Asked what player he thought should be in the Hall but wasn’t, McGriff gave a shoutout to fellow Tampa product Gary Sheffield. …The Hall of Fame store had only Braves and Jays McGriff jerseys.
• • •
Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.
Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Twitter and Facebook.