Crime Dog never watched Tom Emanski video

If you’re a baseball fan of a certain age, you surely remember Tom Emanski's defensive drills video advertised on television. But here's a surprise for you.

Fred McGriff has briefly told the story before on MLB Network before, but he once again gave away the secret that he has never seen the instructional tapes despite very clearly giving them his full endorsement some 30 years ago.

“Honestly, I’ve never seen the video in my life!” McGriff told Kenny Mayne in an interview that aired Monday during Mayne’s farewell episode on ESPN's SportsCenter.

“When I was like 19 years old [former big leaguer] Steve Christmas told me go visit Tom Emanski down in Orlando, he can help you out with your hitting. Five years later, I’m in the big leagues, so Tom’s like ‘Hey Fred, you mind helping me out with this video?’ and I’m like, 'Hey dude, no sweat, I’m in the big leagues.'

"But Kenny, I’ve never seen the video.”

The commercials gained a cult-like following among baseball fans for a number of reasons and aired frequently during baseball games throughout McGriff’s illustrious 19-year career without ever being reshot or updated.

Thanks in part to McGriff’s helping hand, the instructional tapes have been seen by kids from T-ball to the pros and become a niche part of baseball lore.

When you watch them, you’ll know why.