John-Ford Griffin
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John-Ford David Griffin (b. November 19, 1979 in Sarasota, Florida) is a left-handed minor league outfielder who plays in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization. He played for the Blue Jays' AAA affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs, during the 2006 season.
[edit] Early career
An All-State athlete at Sarasota High School, Griffin played college baseball under head coach Mike Martin for the Florida State University Seminoles. Griffin's career batting average of .427 is a Florida State record.
Griffin was drafted out of Florida State by the New York Yankees with the 23rd overall pick in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft. On July 5, 2002, Griffin and future Blue Jay teammates Ted Lilly and Jason Arnold were traded to the Oakland Athletics as part of a three-team deal also involving the Detroit Tigers. On January 7, 2003, Griffin was traded to the Blue Jays in exchange for minor leaguer Jason Perry.
[edit] 2005 Season
Griffin posted good numbers in his 2004 campaign with the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats, hitting .330 with 22 HRs and 81 RBIs. His 2005 season with the Syracuse Chiefs was even better, as he led the International League with 30 home runs and 103 RBI on the way to earning both an International League All-Star selection and the Team MVP award from Syracuse.
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 1 home run and 6 RBIs.
In 2006, Griffin's numbers declined due to injuries, as he hit .225 with 6 home runs in only 60 games for Syracuse.
