Fred McGriff elected to Hall of Fame by contemporary committee

Former MLB slugger Fred McGriff was the lone player elected to the MLB Hall of Fame by the inaugural contemporary committee.

McGriff was not only the only player selected for enshrinement, but was a unanimous choice among the 16 members of the inaugural contemporary baseball era committee, which considered a ballot of eight candidates whose primary contributions to the game took place after 1980. A player needs 75% of the vote to be elected.

McGriff, 59, starred for six different teams from 1986-2004. The five-time All-Star hit 493 homers and collected 2,493 hits while finishing in the top 10 of MVP balloting in six different seasons, including every season from 1989 to 1993.

McGriff had seasons with at least 30 home runs with five different teams; the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, and Chicago Cubs. He had two home runs in the 1995 World Series, helping lead the Atlanta Braves over the Cleveland Indians.

Not receiving the required amount of votes on the contemporary ballot were Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Albert Belle, Dale Murphy, Don Mattingly, and Rafael Palmeiro.