George Foster (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George Foster |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Foster in 2012
|
|||
| Left fielder | |||
| Born: December 1, 1948 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 10, 1969, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 6, 1986, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .274 | ||
| Home runs | 348 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,239 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
George Arthur Foster (born December 1, 1948) is a former American professional baseball player. He was also a scout after his playing days. George played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1969 to 1986.
He is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Reds. With the Reds, he helped win two World Series championships in 1975 and 1976. He also played for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and Chicago White Sox.
George Foster was a five-time All-Star. He was known as a powerful hitter. He led the National League in home runs twice (1977 and 1978). He also led the league in RBI three times (1976, 1977, and 1978). In 1977, he won the National League's Most Valuable Player Award. He also received a Silver Slugger Award in 1981. In 2003, George Foster was honored by being added to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Baseball Career
George Foster was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He went to Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, California. After one year at El Camino College, the San Francisco Giants picked him in the 1968 baseball draft.
He played two seasons in their minor league system. Then, he made his first appearance with the Giants on September 10, 1969, at age 20. He got two hits and one run batted in (RBI) in that game.
Playing for the Giants
Foster returned to the Giants in September 1970. He hit his first career home run against the San Diego Padres. In 1971, he was part of the Giants' main team. He was a fourth outfielder behind famous players like Willie Mays.
However, early in the 1971 season, Foster was traded. On May 29, he went to the Cincinnati Reds. In return, the Giants received shortstop Frank Duffy and pitcher Vern Geishert.
Cincinnati Reds: The Big Red Machine
When Foster joined the Reds, he immediately became a starting player. The team's main center fielder was injured. In 104 games with the Reds that year, he hit .234 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI.
In 1972, he played a back-up role. He had a lower batting average of .200. That year, the Reds' famous team, known as the "Big Red Machine", started to come together. The Reds made it to the playoffs. Foster helped them win the 1972 National League Championship Series. He scored the winning run in Game 5.
Becoming a Starter
Foster spent most of the 1973 season in the minor leagues. He played for the Indianapolis Indians. He hit .262 with 15 home runs there. He returned to the Reds for a short time at the end of the season.
In 1974, Foster, Merv Rettenmund, and rookie Ken Griffey shared time in right field. Foster played in 106 games. He hit .264 with seven home runs and 41 RBI.
The "Big Red Machine" Takes Off
In 1975, Reds manager Sparky Anderson made a big change. He moved All-Star Pete Rose to third base. This opened up a spot in left field. Foster soon earned the everyday job. He hit .300 with 23 home runs and 78 RBI in 134 games.
With Foster in left field, the "Big Red Machine" was complete. The Reds won 108 games that year. They swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1975 National League Championship Series. Foster hit very well, with a .364 batting average.
The Boston Red Sox were a tough opponent in the World Series. The Reds needed seven games to win their first World Series title since 1940. Foster had a memorable moment in Game 6. With the bases loaded and no outs, he caught a fly ball. He then threw the ball to home plate, getting another runner out. This helped send the game into extra innings.
All-Star Seasons
In June 1976, Foster had a 17-game hitting streak. His batting average reached .343. He was chosen to start his first All-Star Game. He hit a two-run home run and had another RBI. This helped the National League win 7–1.
He finished the 1976 season hitting .306. He had 29 home runs and led the major leagues with 121 RBI. After the season, he finished second in the National League MVP voting. The Reds won the National League West by 10 games. They then swept the Philadelphia Phillies in the playoffs. They also swept the New York Yankees in the World Series. Foster hit well in the World Series, with a .429 average.
National League MVP Season
George Foster had an amazing season in 1977. He won the National League's Most Valuable Player Award. On July 14, he hit three home runs in one game. The next day, he hit another home run. This brought his total to 29 before the All-Star break.
He started his second All-Star game. He hit a double to drive in the first run. On September 23, Foster hit his fiftieth home run of the season. He was the first player since Willie Mays in 1965 to hit 50 home runs. He was also the first Cincinnati Reds player ever to do so. He finished the season with 52 home runs and 149 RBI. He led all of baseball in both categories. He also led the NL in slugging percentage (.631) and runs scored (124).
Foster continued his strong play in 1978. He hit 18 home runs and had 63 RBI in the first half. He earned his third straight All-Star start. For the season, he played in 158 games. He hit .281 and led the NL with 40 home runs and 120 RBIs.
In 1979, he was voted to his fourth All-Star team. However, he had to leave the game early due to a thigh injury. The Reds were hit hard by injuries that year. But they still managed to win their division. They were swept by the Pirates in the playoffs. Foster hit a game-tying home run in Game 1.
After the 1979 season, the "Big Red Machine" started to break apart. Many key players left the team. In 1980, Foster hit .273. He led the team with 25 home runs and 93 RBI. In 1981, the Reds had a great season. Foster finished second in the NL's RBI race.
New York Mets
George Foster wanted a new five-year contract with the Reds. But the Reds did not want to pay him that much. So, on February 10, 1982, they traded him to the New York Mets. The next day, Foster signed a five-year, $10 million contract with the Mets.
The Reds had been a top team. But the Mets were often at the bottom of their division. The Mets hoped Foster would help them improve. However, Foster's power numbers dropped. He hit only .247 with 13 home runs and 70 RBI in 1982. These were his lowest numbers since 1974.
In 1983, the Mets added Keith Hernandez and rookie Darryl Strawberry. With more good hitters around him, Foster improved. He hit a team-best 28 home runs and 90 RBI. In 1984, the Mets became a strong team. Foster hit .269 with 24 home runs and 86 RBI.
Chasing the Pennant
The 1985 season was a close race between the Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals. On September 10, there was a big argument between Foster and a Cardinals pitcher. Both teams' players came onto the field.
The race stayed tight. The Cardinals had a three-game lead as the Mets went to play them. The Mets won the first game in extra innings. This brought them within two games of the lead. In the second game, Foster helped the Mets win. He got a hit and scored a run. He also hit a home run to give the Mets a 4–1 lead. Foster had a great game, going 3-for-4. The Mets won 5–2, getting within one game of the lead. However, the Mets lost the next day. The Cardinals went on to win the division.
Final Season
In 1986, Foster was 37 years old. It was the last year of his contract. He had been a good player for the Mets, but his age was starting to show. He hit 13 home runs and had 38 RBIs. But his batting average was .237. He also had lost some speed in the outfield.
The Mets manager, Davey Johnson, wanted to play utilityman Kevin Mitchell more often. On July 21, the Mets played in Cincinnati. Foster did not play in the series, except for one time as a pinch hitter.
During one game, there was a big argument between players. Foster stayed out of it. He said he did not want to set a bad example for children. After this series, the manager announced that Mitchell would be the everyday left fielder. Foster felt his playing time was reduced unfairly. His teammates later said that Foster's quiet personality did not fit the team well.
He played very little after that. On August 7, the Mets released Foster. They replaced him with Lee Mazzilli.
On August 18, Foster signed with the Chicago White Sox. He hit a home run in his first game with them. But his play declined after that. He was released on September 7 after playing 15 games. When the Mets won the World Series in 1986, they gave Foster a World Series ring. This was his third World Series ring. He tried to sign with a new team in 1987 but was not successful.
Career Highlights
In his 18 seasons, George Foster played in 1,977 games. He had a .274 batting average. He hit 348 home runs and had 1,239 runs batted in (RBI). He also had 986 runs scored. His fielding percentage was .984. In 23 playoff games, he hit .289 with three home runs and 12 RBI.
Life After Baseball
After his Major League career, Foster played in the Senior Professional Baseball Association from 1989 to 1990. In 1989, he hit .269 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI.
In February 2010, Foster was hired as a scout advisor for a team in Japan.
George Foster has two daughters, Shawna and Starr. He hosts an online radio show about baseball. He also teaches baseball techniques to young players. He works as a motivational speaker. He runs a non-profit group that helps children of military families and those in inner city areas. He also sponsors a youth baseball team called Foster's Force.
Foster was on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for four years. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003. He often returns to Cincinnati for special events. He was also inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
Images for kids
-
Foster in 2012
-
Foster, circa 1977
-
Foster in 1986
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- 50 home run club
