The Atlanta Braves' Triple-A affilate recreated the Fred McGriff-Tom Emanski Baseball World instructional videos ahead of Crime Dog's National Baseball Hall of Fame induction.
When you think of Fred McGriff, you should think of two things: The Atlanta Braves press box catching on fire in the wake of him being traded over from the San Diego Padres, and the simply majestic and unforgettable Baseball World instructional videos, courtesy of one Tom Emanski.
The reason these instructional videos did not clean up at the 1994 Academy Awards is beyond me. Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption and The Lion King do not have the staying power of McGriff's endorsement of these instructional baseball videos. It is all about the fundamentals in the infield. To be totally honest, this is god's greatest creation in the form of art.
On the day of McGriff's long overdue National Baseball Hall of Fame induction, the Braves Triple-A affiliate Gwinnett Stipers recreated the Tom Emanski classic. Great job by Gwinnett skipper Matt Tuiasosopo, middle infielder Vaughn Grissom and others for bringing this cinematic classic to life.
McGriff may have played for five MLB franchises (Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays), but is going into Cooperstown capless. The fact he is not donning a Baseball World emblem on his plaque disgusts me to no end, and you should feel the same way as I do. I would have loved to see him rock the Atlanta A, but this is the right choice.
The only people who cannot buy these instructional videos are Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals fans, mostly because Brandon Gaudin said so…
I know exactly what I want for my 34th birthday in September and where I'm having my birthday party at. You don't even know!
Atlanta Braves Triple-A team celebrates Fred McGriff's HoF induction perfectly
It was so stupid for McGriff not to be inducted into Cooperstown when he was on the ballot initially. He almost had 500 career home runs. While he did have the World Series title with the 1995 Braves, several All-Star appearances and plenty of Silver Sluggers, the fact he never played anywhere for that long ultimately hurt him in the end. What if he never left the Braves in 1998???
See, that's the really complicated part. The Tampa native had an opportunity to play for his hometown's expansion franchise in 1998. The Devil Rays absolutely sucked, but you cannot pass that up. It is why I wouldn't blame native Charlotteans and Nashvillians wanting to play for the Knights and the Sounds when they inevitably join the league as MLB franchises No. 31 and No. 32.
But you know what the best part of today is? Crime Dog got what was his, and then some. He was the best offensive player on the 1995 Braves and played a massive part in the Team of the 90s era overcoming the Baseball Buffalo Bills label. Even beyond that, so many boys and girls learned all the fundamentals of stellar infield play from those iconic Tom Emanski Baseball World videos.
Eventually, guys like Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Lou Whitaker will get their due like McGriff.
