3 MLB legends you forgot played for the Chicago Cubs

MLB legends you forgot played for the Chicago Cubs: Fred McGriff

Fred McGriff was an extremely talented player. McGriff was well known for his power and plate presence, especially during his time with the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. He played one season with the Chicago Cubs in 2001-2002 before his retirement in 2004. McGriff hit 493 career home runs.

McGriff won many awards and achievements throughout his career and quickly solidified himself as one of the best hitters in all of baseball. He won his first Silver Slugger award in 1989 during one of his best seasons at-bat with a batting average of .269, 36 home runs and 92 RBIs. McGriff won three Silver Slugger awards throughout his career as well as two player of the month awards and an All-Star Game MVP award. He almost earned a well-deserved spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame but unfortunately fell short in the ballots. He was respected and highly praised by his former teammates, who believe he deserves a spot in Cooperstown.

"“It’s very unfortunate. I had a conversation with somebody close to me today about Fred McGriff. Having had this guy as a quote/unquote bodyguard hitting behind me in the lineup, there was nobody I enjoyed hitting in front of more than Fred McGriff. People feared this guy … I’m a little biased but ultimately when you’re looking at a guy that hit in the .280s, I don’t know exactly what his career batting average was (.284), but upwards of 500 homers and 1,550 RBIs, those are Hall of Fame numbers in my book. Especially when he did it as consistently as he did.” –Chipper Jones, via Tampa Bay Times"