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George Foster (baseball)

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George Foster
Foster in 2012
Left fielder
Born: (1948-12-01) December 1, 1948 (age 76)
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 10, 1969, for the San Francisco Giants
Last MLB appearance
September 6, 1986, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average.274
Home runs348
Runs batted in1,239
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards

George Arthur Foster (born December 1, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1969 through 1986, most notably as an integral member of the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he won two World Series championships, in 1975 and 1976. He also played for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox.

A five-time All-Star, Foster was one of the most feared right-handed sluggers of his era, leading the National League in home runs twice (1977 and 1978), and in RBI three times (1976, 1977, and 1978).[1] He won the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in 1977 and a Silver Slugger Award in 1981.[2] In 2003, Foster was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.[1]

San Francisco Giants

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Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Foster attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, California. After just a single year at El Camino College, Foster was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the third round (55th overall) of the 1968 Major League Baseball draft.[3] After two seasons in their farm system, he debuted with the Giants at the age of 20 on September 10, 1969.[4] He went 2-for-5 with one run batted in (RBI) as a pinch hitter and late inning defensive replacement.[5] That year on September 22, Willie Mays pinch hit for Foster and hit his 600th career home run.[6]

Foster returned to the Giants in September of the following year, hitting his first career home run off the San Diego Padres' Pat Dobson.[7] He finally made an opening day roster in 1971 as a fourth outfielder behind Mays, Bobby Bonds and Ken Henderson, but shortly after the season started, Foster was traded to the Cincinnati Reds shortstop Frank Duffy and pitcher Vern Geishert on May 29.[8]

Cincinnati Reds

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Foster was immediately inserted into the starting line-up in center field, as starting center fielder Bobby Tolan was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.[9] In 104 games with the Reds, he batted .234 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI.[5] He returned to a back-up role in 1972, platooning in right field with César Gerónimo, and managed just a .200 batting average, two home runs and 12 RBI in 59 games.[5] The nucleus of the "Big Red Machine" began coming together that season, however, and the Reds returned to the post-season playoffs after a disappointing fourth-place finish in 1971. Foster played in the 1972 National League Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates only as a pinch runner for Tony Pérez in Game 5 of the series; he scored the series-winning run on a wild pitch from Bob Moose.[10] Foster appeared in Games 1 and 7 of the World Series against the Oakland Athletics, but did not log an at bat.[11]

Foster spent the majority of the 1973 season with the Reds' Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, batting .262 with 15 home runs and 60 RBI in 134 games.[12] and made a September return to the majors when the minor league season ended. He batted .282 with four home runs and 9 RBI in 17 games.[5] He was not part of the Reds' post-season roster. Tolan had suffered through a poor 1973 season in which he batted just .206, and was traded that winter to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Clay Kirby.[13] Foster, Merv Rettenmund and rookie Ken Griffey all took turns filling the hole the trade created in right field in 1974, with Foster batting .264 with seven home runs and 41 RBI in 106 games.[5]

The "Big Red Machine"

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Early in the 1975 season, Reds manager Sparky Anderson shifted perennial All-Star Pete Rose to third base, and used a platoon of Foster and Dan Driessen in left field.[14] Foster soon won the everyday job with a .300 batting average, 23 home runs and 78 RBI in 134 games.[5] With Foster now in left, the final piece of the "Big Red Machine" was in place. The Reds won 108 games that year, tying the 1970 World Series champion Baltimore Orioles for the most regular season wins that decade. They dominated the Pirates in the 1975 National League Championship Series, out-scoring their opponent 19–7 to sweep the series in three games. For his part, Foster batted .364 and scored three runs.[15]

The Boston Red Sox proved a far tougher opponent in the World Series, as the Reds needed seven games to win their first World Series title since 1940. Foster went 2-for-6 and drove in two runs in the classic Game 6 of the World Series at Fenway Park.[16] His most memorable moment was on the field. The game was tied, and with the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth inning, reigning MVP and Rookie of the Year Fred Lynn lifted a ball down the left field line. Foster made the catch near the stands for the first out of the inning. Denny Doyle tagged up on the play, and was out at home on a strong throw from Foster.[17] Rico Petrocelli grounded out to Rose at third for the final out and sent the game to extra innings.

Anderson moved Foster into the clean-up spot in his batting order during a 17-game hitting streak in June 1976 when Foster's batting average peaked at .343. With 17 home runs and 71 RBI at the All-Star break, he was elected to start his first All-Star Game. He turned in an MVP performance with a two-run home run and third RBI to pace his team to a 7–1 victory over the American League All-Stars.[18] He ended the season batting .306 with 29 home runs and a major league-leading 121 RBI in 144 games.[5] After the season, Foster finished second, behind only teammate Joe Morgan, in National League MVP balloting. Rose and Griffey also finished within the top ten.[19]

The Reds won the National League West by 10 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. They became the only team to go undefeated in post-season history since the establishment of the Divisional Era in 1969 when they swept the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1976 National League Championship Series and New York Yankees in the World Series. For his part, Foster batted just .167 in the NLCS, but hit key home runs in Games 1[20] and 3.[21] His average jumped to .429 in the World Series, while driving in four.[11]

National League MVP

[edit]
Foster, circa 1977

Foster turned in one of the all-time great seasons in 1977 on his way to winning the National League's Most Valuable Player Award. On July 14, Foster clubbed three home runs against the Atlanta Braves.[22] A home run the following day off the Houston Astros' Gene Pentz brought his season mark to 29 heading into the All-Star break.[23] He started his second consecutive All-Star game, and led the NL charge with a first inning double to drive in Dave Parker with the first run of the game.[24] On September 23, in the ninth inning of the Reds' 5–1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, Foster hit his fiftieth home run of the season off Buzz Capra,[25] making him the first player since Willie Mays in 1965 to hit fifty in a season.[26] The 50 home run mark would not be reached again until Cecil Fielder hit 51 home runs in 1990.[27] Foster was just the 10th player in major league history to reach the mark, and the first ever Cincinnati Reds player.[28] In 158 games, he batted .320 with 52 home runs and 149 RBI, leading the majors in the latter two categories.[5] He finished fourth in the NL in batting, missing the Triple Crown by .018 behind Dave Parker. He also led the NL in slugging percentage (.631), runs scored (124) and total bases (388).[5]

Foster picked up where he left off in 1978, with 18 home runs and 63 RBI in the first half of the season to earn his third consecutive All-Star start.[29] For the season, he played in 158 games and batted .281 while pacing the NL in both home runs and RBIs with 40 and 120, respectively.[5] He was voted onto his fourth consecutive All-Star team in 1979, but needed to be pulled in the second inning after pulling his thigh.[30] The Reds lost Foster for a month, and had been decimated by injuries, but managed to stay in the NL West race during Foster's absence.[31] Shortly after his return, the Reds went on an eight-game winning streak that saw them jump into first place by 1.5 games over the Houston Astros. The Reds held off the Astros to win their first division crown since 1976, but were swept by the Pirates in the 1979 National League Championship Series. Foster's highlight was a game tying home run in Game 1 of the NLCS.[32]

Following the 1979 season, Joe Morgan headed to the Houston Astros via free agency. With Tony Pérez and Pete Rose already gone, the "Big Red Machine" was beginning to come apart, and the Reds slumped to a third-place finish in 1980. Foster hit .273, and led the club with 25 home runs and 93 RBI in 144 games.[33] A rejuvenated Reds team won a major league best 66 games in the strike shortened 1981 season, but managed to miss the playoffs as a result of the split-season format used that season.[34] Foster returned to form, finishing second to Mike Schmidt in the NL's RBI race. At this point in his career, when it looked like he would one day rank among the game's all-time greats, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.

New York Mets

[edit]

With one year remaining on his contract, Foster was seeking a new five-year deal with the Reds. Unwilling to meet his contract demands,[35] the Reds traded him to the New York Mets for Greg Harris, Jim Kern and Alex Treviño on February 10, 1982.[36] The next day, Foster agreed with the club on a five-year, $10 million contract.[37]

Whereas the Reds were at or near the top of their division Foster's entire time in Cincinnati, the Mets were consistent cellar dwellers in the National League East when Foster joined his new club. The franchise was hoping for a turn around with Foster in tow,[38] but it was not to be, as all of Foster's power numbers declined. He hit just .247 with 13 home runs and 70 RBI in 151 games, the lowest numbers he'd put up since 1974.[5]

The Mets acquired Keith Hernandez and brought up rookie prospect Darryl Strawberry during the 1983 season. Given more protection in the line-up, Foster rebounded with a team-best 28 home runs and 90 RBI.[39] When the Mets became a contending team in 1984, Foster batted .269 with 24 home runs and 86 RBI in 146 games.[5]

The 1985 season came down to the wire between the Mets and St. Louis Cardinals. On September 10, with the two teams tied atop the NL East, an incident between Foster and Cardinals pitcher Danny Cox caused both benches to clear.[40] The race remained tight, but the Cardinals pulled off a three-game lead as the Mets headed to Busch Stadium for a three-game set on October 1. The first game was a pitchers' duel between Ron Darling and John Tudor that the Mets won in extra innings.[41] With the Mets now just two games back, 20 game winners Dwight Gooden and Joaquín Andújar faced off in the second game.

Foster in 1986

With the Mets leading 1–0, Foster led off the second inning by legging out an infield single. Three batters later, he scored the second run of the game on a fielder's choice by Gooden. In the seventh, he drove the first pitch from Andújar to deep center field to give the Mets a 4–1 lead. Foster went 3-for-4 to lead the Mets to a 5–2 victory, and pull to within one game of the division lead.[42] The Mets would, however, lose the following day, and the Cardinals went on to win the division.

Last year in baseball

[edit]

Foster was 37 years old and in the final year of his contract when the 1986 season began. Although he had been respectable for several years, he had not fully lived up to the expectations that were set for him by the Mets and his age was starting to become a factor as well. He put up respectable power numbers (13 home runs and 38 RBIs), but had a .237 batting average, and had lost considerable range in left field.[5] Meanwhile, the Mets manager Davey Johnson was looking for an everyday position for utilityman Kevin Mitchell. When the Mets headed to Cincinnati for a three-game series on July 21, Foster sat out the series, making just one pinch hit appearance in the second game of the set.[43]

This game was highlighted by a bench-clearing brawl that was ignited when the Reds' Eric Davis stole third base in the tenth inning. After a hard tag by Mets third baseman Ray Knight, the two men exchanged words, leading to Knight's punching Davis in the face.[44] Both benches emptied with the exception of Foster. Foster said that he stayed out of the ruckus because it set a bad example for children.[45] After the series in Cincinnati, the manager Johnson officially announced Mitchell as the everyday left fielder.[46]

Despite Johnson's reasoning that Foster's lack of performance warranted the benching, Foster complained that his demotion was racially motivated, with Los Angeles Times writer Mike Downey criticizing him for making that statement considering that Mitchell, who replaced Foster, was black (like Foster).[47] In addition, Met teammates Wally Backman and Mookie Wilson have since said that Foster's non-combative personality was a bad fit for the team. He made just 14 plate appearances after that point, walking once, getting one single, and striking out six times. On August 7, the Mets released Foster and replaced him on their major league roster with Lee Mazzilli.[48]

On August 18, Foster signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox,[49] and hit the ground running with his new club. In his first game, he went 2-for-4 with a home run.[50] From there, his game declined, and Foster was released on September 7 after 15 games with his new club.[51] When the Mets won the World Series in 1986, they awarded Foster a World Series ring (the third of his career) and a three-quarters share as a team member for part of the season.[52] He attempted to sign with a new club in 1987, but was unsuccessful.[53]

Career statistics

[edit]

In 1,977 games over 18 seasons, Foster compiled a .274 batting average (1,925-for-7,023) with 986 runs, 307 doubles, 47 triples, 348 home runs, 1,239 runs batted in (RBI), 666 walks, 1,419 strikeouts, a .338 on-base percentage and a .480 slugging percentage. He posted a .984 fielding percentage at all three outfield positions. In 23 post-season games (three appearances in the World Series, four appearances in the NLCS), he hit .289 (22-for-76) with 11 runs, two doubles, three home runs, 12 runs batted in and eight walks.[5]

Senior Professional Baseball Association

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Afterwards, Foster played from 1989 to 1990 in the Senior Professional Baseball Association. In his first season, he hit .269 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI in 70 games for the St. Lucie Legends.[54] In 1990, he joined the St. Petersburg Pelicans and batted .273 in three games for the club before the league folded during the midseason.[55]

In February 2010, Foster was hired as a scout advisor for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball.[56]

Personal life

[edit]

He has two daughters, Shawna and Starr.

Foster began a baseball online radio show, "The George Foster Diamond Report", in which he speaks about how the development and strength of an athlete can build a strong foundation. Foster spends time instructing youth in baseball techniques, and also works as a motivational speaker.[57] He operates a non-profit organization that supports children of military families and who live in inner city neighborhoods. He also sponsors baseball boot camps for children as well as a Cincinnati select baseball team, Foster's Force.[58][59][60][61]

Foster was on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for four years, having his highest total of 6.9% in 1993 before being dropped off after garnering 4.1% of the vote in 1995. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003,[62] He was a celebrity participant in the 2010 Cincinnati Reds/Findlay Market Opening Day Parade and he frequently returns to Cincinnati for the annual Redsfest and other reunion events. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.[63]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame at MLB.com". Cincinnati Reds. MLB.com. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  2. ^ Keith, Larry (September 19, 1977). "No, It's The Year Of The Lively Bat". Sports Illustrated. CNN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013.
  3. ^ "3rd Round of the 1968 MLB January Draft-Regular Phase". Baseball Reference. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "San Francisco Giants vs Atlanta Braves Box Score: September 10, 1969". Baseball Reference. September 10, 1969. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "George Foster Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  6. ^ "San Francisco Giants 4, San Diego Padres 2". Baseball-Reference.com. September 22, 1969.
  7. ^ "San Diego Padres 7, San Francisco Giants 4". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. September 25, 1970.
  8. ^ "Foster Goes to Cincinnati". The Gadsden Times. Associated Press. May 30, 1971 – via Google News Archive.
  9. ^ Strode, George (January 28, 1971). "Howsam, Sparky Against Reds Playing Basketball". Portsmouth Daily Times. Associated Press – via Google News Archive.
  10. ^ "1972 National League Championship Series, Game 5". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. October 11, 1972.
  11. ^ a b "George Foster Postseason Batting Game Logs". Baseball Reference. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  12. ^ "George Foster Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  13. ^ "Kirby Traded For Tolan". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Associated Press. November 10, 1973 – via Google News Archive.
  14. ^ "Rose Returning to Third Base". Portsmouth Daily Times. Associated Press. May 3, 1975 – via Google News Archive.
  15. ^ "1975 National League Championship Series". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. October 4–7, 1975.
  16. ^ "1975 World Series, Game 6". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. October 21, 1975.
  17. ^ ""Carlton Fisk Game" Sends SuperSeries to Seven". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. October 21, 1975. Archived from the original on April 2, 2007.
  18. ^ "1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. July 13, 1976.
  19. ^ "1976 Awards Voting". Baseball Reference. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  20. ^ "1976 National League Championship Series, Game 1". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. October 9, 1976.
  21. ^ "1976 National League Championship Series, Game 3". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. October 12, 1976.
  22. ^ "Cincinnati Reds 7, Atlanta Braves 1". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. July 14, 1977.
  23. ^ "Cincinnati Reds 8, Houston Astros 3". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. July 15, 1977.
  24. ^ "1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. July 19, 1977.
  25. ^ "Cincinnati Reds 5, Atlanta Braves 1". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. September 23, 1977.
  26. ^ Pierson, Kevin (June 21, 2009). "George Foster to appear at Reds Legends Camp". The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  27. ^ Thomas, Robert Mcg. (October 4, 1990). "On Season's Last Day, A Number of Firsts — New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  28. ^ "George Foster, Class of 2003". Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. MLB.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  29. ^ "George Foster 1978 Batting Splits". Baseball Reference. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  30. ^ "Cincinnati Places Foster on 15 Day Disabled List". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. July 26, 1979 – via Google News Archive.[permanent dead link‍]
  31. ^ "Foster May Come Off Injured List This Week". Sunday Times-Sentinel. Associated Press. August 12, 1979 – via Google News Archive.
  32. ^ "1979 National League Championship Series, Game 1". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. October 2, 1979.
  33. ^ "1980 Cincinnati Reds Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  34. ^ "Reds Have Best Overall Mark, but are Left Out of Playoffs". Sarasota Journal. United Press International. October 6, 1981.
  35. ^ "Reds Give Up Attempt to Sign George Foster". Portsmouth Daily Times. Associated Press. January 23, 1982 – via Google News Archive.
  36. ^ Bock, Hal (February 5, 1982). "Reds, Mets Agree In Principle to Foster Trade". Portsmouth Daily Times. Associated Press – via Google News Archive.
  37. ^ "Foster, Mets agree on five-year deal". Fort Scott Tribune. Associated Press. February 11, 1982 – via Google News Archive.
  38. ^ Sullivan, Stephen (November 4, 2011). "George Foster – His Mets Career 1982–1986". New York Mets History. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013.
  39. ^ "1983 New York Mets Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  40. ^ "Hit Batsman Gives Mets the Spark". The Miami News. September 11, 1985 – via Google News Archive.[permanent dead link‍]
  41. ^ "New York Mets 1, St. Louis Cardinals 0". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. October 1, 1986.
  42. ^ "Gooden Inspires Mets; Padres Eliminate Reds". Record-Journal. Meridan, Connecticut. October 3, 1985 – via Google News Archive.[permanent dead link‍]
  43. ^ Walker, Ben (July 24, 1986). "Mitchell's stick puts end to Foster's starting role". The Hour. Associated Press. Retrieved December 29, 2024 – via Google News Archive.
  44. ^ "Mets Beat Up, Then Beat, Slumping Reds". Times-Union. Warsaw, Indiana. Associated Press. July 23, 1986 – via Google News Archive.
  45. ^ Golenbock, Peter (April 1, 2003). Amazin': The Miraculous History of New York's Most Beloved Baseball Team. Macmillan Publishers. pp. 451–455. ISBN 9780312309923.
  46. ^ "This Season, Foster's Become a Major Met". The Telegraph. Associated Press. July 24, 1986 – via Google News Archive.
  47. ^ Downey, Mike (August 18, 1986). "White Sox's George Foster-Lookin' for Love in All the Wrong Places". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  48. ^ "Mets Ask Waivers for Outfielder George Foster". The Daily Reporter. Spencer, Iowa. Associated Press. July 24, 1986 – via Google News Archive.
  49. ^ McDill, Kent (August 15, 1986). "The Chicago White Sox Friday signed veteran George Foster..." United Press International. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  50. ^ Flaherty, Tom (August 16, 1986). "Foster is Again Seeing Red". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.[permanent dead link‍]
  51. ^ "Chicago Releases George Foster". Evening Independent. Associated Press. September 8, 1986 – via Google News Archive.
  52. ^ Durso, Joseph (October 24, 1986). "Reeping Record Rewards". Times-News. The New York Times – via Google News Archive.
  53. ^ "Foster Making a Pitch Instead of Hitting One". Regina Leader-Post. December 10, 1986 – via Google News Archive.[permanent dead link‍]
  54. ^ Crossley, Drew (March 6, 2013). "St. Lucie Legends". Fun While It Lasted. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  55. ^ "BaseballNew York Mets — Named Tom Spencer…". The Baltimore Sun. October 7, 1990. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  56. ^ "George Foster joins the front office as a scout advisor". Japanese Baseball. February 9, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  57. ^ "#80 George Foster- New York Mets". 1983 Topps Blog. January 10, 2012.
  58. ^ Footer, Alyson (October 11, 2012). "On anniversary of pennant-clinching run, George Foster throws first pitch at Great American Ball Park". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  59. ^ "Foster Finds Peace In Life After Baseball, Outside Of New York". Orlando Sentinel. July 12, 1988. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  60. ^ "United Way of the Greater Dayton Area 2007 Partner Agencies" (PDF). United Way of the Greater Dayton Area. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  61. ^ "Agency - Building Bridges, Inc/George Foster Home". United Way of Northwest Georgia. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  62. ^ "Foster, Hoy enter Reds' Hall of Fame". Star-News. January 22, 2003 – via Google News Archive.
  63. ^ "George Foster". Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Foster (baseball).
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Mike Schmidt
Al Oliver
Ken Reitz
Greg Luzinski
Dave Parker
Lou Brock
 NL Player of the Month
May 1976
July 1976
June 1977
August 1977
April 1979
June 1979 		Succeeded by
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