WHY I THINK GEORGE FOSTER SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK GEORGE FOSTER SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

George Foster was one of the most feared sluggers of his era. A late bloomer, establishing himself as a regular at age 26, Foster still managed to hit 348 career home runs, leading the NL two years in a row. Foster was the cleanup hitter for Cincinnati’s famous Big Red Machine in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, leading the club to three pennants and two World Championships. 

    George Arthur Foster was born on December 1, 1948, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. When he was eight he moved to Hawthorne, California, where he played in the same little league as Dave Kingman. Foster played multiple sports in high school, but broke his leg playing basketball as a senior and had to miss the baseball season. Instead, he focused on gaining muscle, and when he returned to the field in the fall, he impressed the Giants enough to earn their third round draft pick in 1968. Foster earned his first Big League call up in 1969, appearing in nine games. He spent most of 1970 in the minors, hitting .308 at AAA, before earning another cup of coffee late in the season. He spent 1971 in a platoon role, eventually being traded to the Reds in midseason, and established himself as a regular in 1975, batting .300 with 23 homers and 78 RBI’s, helping the Reds to their first World Series Championship since 1940. The next year, the Reds repeated as World Series champions, with Foster leading the club (and the Major Leagues) with 121 RBI’s, finishing second in the MVP voting behind teammate Joe Morgan and setting the stage for the best year of his career. Foster had a season for the ages in 1977, batting .320 with 52 home runs and 149 RBI’s, missing the Triple Crown by eighteen points in batting behind Dave Parker. Foster also led the league in runs scored, slugging, and total bases while playing brilliant defense in both left and centerfield, making him an easy choice for the NL MVP. Foster didn’t stop there, however, as he led the league in homers and RBI’s again in 1978 and belted another 30 homers in 1979. Foster slowed a little in 1980 (.273 average, 25 home runs), but rebounded big in the strike shortened 1981 season, batting .295 with 22 homers and 90 RBI’s in 108 games. Despite having the best record in the Majors (66-42), the Reds missed out on the playoffs, finishing second in each half. After the season, the Big Red Machine started to break up, and Foster was shipped to the Mets on February 10, 1982. After a subpar season, Foster appeared finished at 33. However, he came back with a vengeance in 1983, hitting 28 homers (sixth in the league) and 24 in 1984 (also sixth). Foster had one more 20 homer season in 1985 and played another partial season in 1986, capping his career with a third World Series ring.

    Despite a relatively short career, George Foster has a compelling case for Cooperstown. He was a dominant power hitter in his day, hitting 348 career home runs in just over 7,000 at bats. Foster had ten seasons with over 20 home runs, leading the league twice, and joined the illustrious 50 home run club in 1977. During his peak, he was arguably the best hitter in the game, slashing .297 / .369 / .543 from 1975 through 1981 and averaging 34 home runs per season. While Foster was best known for his awesome power, he was not just a fencebuster like his little league pal, Dave Kingman - he was a legitimate hitter, topping the .300 mark four times and collecting nearly 2,000 hits. On the defensive side, Foster provided value at all three outfield positions, winning five fielding titles. He had above average range (three times leading in range factor) and a strong arm. Additionally, Foster was a key contributor to Cincinnati’s only dynasty. The Reds won two World Series in Foster’s time, and probably wouldn’t have won either without him. In addition to his regular season feats, Foster batted .326 with six RBI’s in those two Series. In Game 6 of the 1975 Series, he threw out the potential winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning to keep the game going. Although Carlton Fisk eventually won the game with his famous homer, the Reds took Game 7 the next day. As manager Sparky Anderson said, “Having George in leftfield made the difference in our ballclub winning the World Series.” For all of his accomplishments, George Foster would be a good addition to the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,977 season high: 158 in 1977 and 1978 

At Bats career: 7,023 season high: 615 in 1977 

Hits career: 1,925 season high: 197 in 1977 

Doubles career: 307 season high: 31 in 1977 

Triples career: 47 season high: 9 in 1976 

Home Runs career: 348 season high: 52 in 1977 led NL: 52 in 1977, 40 in 1978 

Runs Scored career: 986 season high: 124 in 1977 led NL: 124 in 1977 

Runs Batted In career: 1,239 season high: 149 in 1977 led NL: 121 in 1976, 149 in 1977, 120 in 1978 

Stolen Bases career: 51 season high: 17 in 1976 

Walks career: 666 season high: 75 in 1980 

Strikeouts career: 1,419 season high: 138 in 1978 

Batting Average career: .274 season high: .320 in 1977 

On Base Percentage career: .338 season high: .386 in 1979 

Slugging Percentage career: .480 season high: .631 in 1977 led NL: .631 in 1977 

Total Bases career: 3,370 season high: 388 in 1977 led NL: 388 in 1977 

Sacrifice Hits career: 3 season high: 2 in 1974 

Fielding Percentage career: .984 season high: .997 in 1980 led NL OF: .994 in 1976 led NL LF: .995 in 1976, .990 in 1977, .997 in 1980, .991 in 1981, .988 in 1983 

Double Plays career: 28 season high: 4 in 1982 led NL LF: 2 in 1976, 4 in 1982 

Putouts career: 3,809 season high: 352 in 1977 

Assists career: 119 season high: 13 in 1982 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Yahtzee” 

-also finished third in the NL MVP Award voting in 1981, sixth in 1978, and 12th in 1979 

-slashed .273 / .385 / .727 with a homer and five RBI’s in five all-star games, taking home MVP honors in 1976 

-led the NL in home run percentage in 1977 (8.5) and 1978 (6.6); in extra-base hits in 1977 (85); and in OPS in 1977 (1.013) 

-slashed .289 / .353 / .434 with three homers and 12 RBI’s in 23 career postseason games 

-his 52 home runs and 149 RBI’s in 1977 were the highest totals of the 1970’s 

-hit three home runs in one game on July 14, 1977 

-In Riverfront Park’s 33 year history, only 35 home runs have landed in the upper deck. Foster hit six of them, the most of any player. 

-was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003