#Shortstops: 400 Crimes
When Fred McGriff was in high school, he was cut from the baseball team. Decades later, he reached a milestone that fewer than 75 players in Major League Baseball have achieved: Hitting 400 home runs.
On June 2, 2000, Devil Rays star McGriff came up to the plate in the sixth inning against Mets pitcher Glendon Rusch. The lefty slugger launched a 2-2 pitch over the center field wall at Shea Stadium to join the 400 club. This home run not only represented a feat few have reached, but also a major weight off McGriff’s shoulders.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” McGriff said. “I came into the year with 390 and I’m glad to get it over with.”
That same season, the first baseman would go on to make even more history by recording his 2,000th hit.
The Louisville Slugger bat that McGriff used to hit his 400th home run was later donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
And even though McGriff finished seven home runs shy of the 500-home run mark, his career tells a story of incredible reliability and steadiness.
“Crime Dog,” as he was affectionately nicknamed after McGruff the Crime Dog, had seven consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs (10 seasons total). He is one of the only players to lead both the American League and National League in home runs, accomplishing this in 1989 and 1992, respectively. Additionally, he became the first player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season for five different teams: The Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays and Cubs.
Power was not the sole part of his game, however. After 19 years in the majors, he retired with a .284 average, 2,490 hits, 1,550 RBI and an .886 OPS. He also posted a .303 average through 50 postseason games.
“He was basically a prolific hitter, RBI guy and great teammate that played the game right and showed up every day to play,” said former Braves teammate John Smoltz. “As a pitcher, you feared this guy in the lineup.”
McGriff’s consistency was honored in 2023, when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Kelsey Diggs is a Programming intern in the 2026 Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Leadership Development
