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John-Ford Griffin

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For the 1930s baseball player, see John Griffin (baseball).

John-Ford Griffin
Outfielder
Born: (1979-11-19) November 19, 1979 (age 44)
Sarasota, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 6, 2005, for the Toronto Blue Jays
Last MLB appearance
September 30, 2007, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
Batting average.304
Home runs2
Runs batted in9
Teams

John-Ford David Griffin (born November 19, 1979) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Early life

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An All-State athlete at Sarasota High School, was part of a state championship team in 1996 for the Sailors. Griffin played college baseball under head coach Mike Martin for the Florida State University Seminoles from 1999 to 2001. Griffin's career batting average was .427, a Florida State record at the time.

Professional career

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Griffin was drafted out of Florida State University by the New York Yankees with the 23rd overall pick in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft.[1] On July 5, 2002, Griffin, and future Blue Jays teammates Ted Lilly and Jason Arnold were traded to the Oakland Athletics as part of a three-team deal also involving the Detroit Tigers that sent Jeff Weaver to the Yankees.[2] On January 7, 2003, Griffin was traded to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later. Minor league outfielder Jason Perry was later sent to Oakland to complete the deal.[3]

Griffin posted decent numbers in his 2004 campaign with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, hitting .248 with 22 home runs and 81 runs batted in. His 2005 season with the Syracuse SkyChiefs was even better, as he led the International League with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs on the way to earning both an International League All-Star selection and the Team MVP award from Syracuse.[4][5]

Griffin made his major league debut and collected his first major-league hit, a double, on September 6, 2005, in a game against the Baltimore Orioles. On the final day of the regular season, he hit his first Major League home run against Kansas City Royals pitcher Jimmy Gobble. During his major league stint in 2005, Griffin hit .308 with one home run and six RBIs.

In 2006, Griffin's numbers declined due to injuries, as he hit .225 with six home runs in 60 games for Syracuse.[6]

In 2007, Griffin rebounded in Syracuse, hitting .252/.330/.488 with 26 home runs and struck out 144 times. He hit well on a September call-up to Toronto and is now a career .304/.370/.696 hitter in 27 major league plate appearances. He has hit two major league home runs. Griffin was released at the end of the season.[7]

In 2008, Griffin played for the Las Vegas 51s in the Dodgers farm system.[6] He re-signed with the Dodgers in February 2009 and played briefly for the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes before he was released by the Dodgers on May 25 and signed a new minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs.[8]

In 2010, Griffin played for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, but announced his retirement on June 18, 2010.[9]

In 2011, he co-founded Powermill Training Academy in Tallahassee, Florida.[10] In 2012, Griffin was inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame.[11] He joined the staff at IMG Academy in 2015, serving as hitting coordinator.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Curry, Jack (June 6, 2001). "Amateur Draft Picks". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  2. ^ "ESPN.com: MLB - Yanks acquire Tigers' Weaver in three-team deal". www.espn.com. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  3. ^ "Blue Jays Send Jason Perry to A's". Huron Daily Tribune. June 23, 2003. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  4. ^ "2010 Syracuse Chiefs Media Guide | PDF | Athletic Sports | Team Sports". Scribd. p. 62. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  5. ^ "John-Ford Griffin Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Griffin not in groove yet". Las Vegas Review-Journal. April 11, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  7. ^ "Blue Jays deal for Oakland's Scutaro". CBC Sports. November 18, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  8. ^ "John-Ford Griffin Stats, Fantasy & News". MiLB.com. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "2010 Newark Bears minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  10. ^ "About | Powermill | Tallahassee Baseball and Softball Training". Powermill Training Academy. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  11. ^ "Sarasota graduate to be inducted into FSU Athletics Hall of Fame". Your Observer. August 27, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  12. ^ "John-Ford Griffin". IMG Academy. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
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