Baseball Hall of Famer Fred McGriff had an illustrious career in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for 19 seasons, but he’ll never forget where it all started for him. When McGriff was young, he would go to the Boys Club in Tampa — which is now called the Boys & Girls Club — to play sports and other games. Fast forward to 2024, and McGriff has been inducted into the Boys & Girls Club of America Alumni Hall of Fame.
McGriff spoke with rolling out about the importance of the Boys & Girls Club in his life.
What are some of your earliest memories of being in the Boys & Girls Club?
The Boys & Girls Club has changed a lot over the years. When I was growing up, it was just the Boys Club, and it was more or less just sports, board games, ping pong and bumper pool. … We just went there and played a lot of games. Then, once the lights came on and it got dark, it was time to go home, or your mom came and picked you up, or your dad came and picked you up. So it’s changed over the years. Now it’s the Boys & Girls Club, and it’s a lot more events, planning and just helping kids in their future.
How important is it for young boys and girls to have a community like the Boys & Girls Club?
It’s just awesome to have a safe haven and a safe place for kids to go. I know in this day and age, a lot of parents don’t feel safe dropping their kids off, but the Boys & Girls Club is still a great place where you can have confidence that when you drop your kids off, they’re going to be fine.
What are some of the biggest surprises you’ve seen so far throughout the MLB season?
The Phillies have gotten off to a great start, and the Braves are in second place. So, the Braves are going to have their work cut out because the Phillies have a really good team — and that’s a little surprising. Spencer Strider is hurt and he’s the starting pitcher, so that hurts them a little bit. But this should be another good year.
