Fred McGriff (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport)
The Chicago Cubs had to do everything in their power to acquire left-handed slugger Fred McGriff from Tampa Bay in 2001. Even then, it was barely enough.
Some fans might forget about that 2001 team. Those Chicago Cubs finished with the same number of wins (88) as the 2003 squad), and also featured a second-half collapse after the All-Star break.
One of the more notable moments of that season came in July when the Cubs made a concerted push to land the “Crime Dog” for the team formerly known as the Devil Rays.