George Foster Stats & Facts
George Foster
Position: Leftfielder
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 180lb (185cm, 81kg)
Born: December 1, 1948 in Tuscaloosa, AL
Draft: Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 3rd round of the 1968 MLB January Draft-Regular Phase from El Camino College (Torrance, CA).
High School: Leuzinger HS (Lawndale, CA)
School: El Camino College (Torrance, CA)
Debut: September 10, 1969 (10,534th in MLB history)
vs. ATL 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: September 6, 1986
vs. TOR 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: George Arthur Foster
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1969
Darrell Evans
Bill Buckner
Carlton Fisk
Steve Garvey
Bill Russell
Toby Harrah
Vida Blue
Jerry Reuss
Thurman Munson
All-Time Teammate Team
Coming Soon
Vintage Baseball HOT ON EBAY
Card Collections ENDING SOON ON EBAY
MOST WANTED ROOKIE CARDS
VINTAGE SPORTS TICKETS
Baseball Hall of Famers
Notable Events and Chronology for George Foster Career
When menacing George Foster finally had the opportunity to play full-time for a full season, he became a .300 hitter. In his second full season, the quick-wristed slugger led the majors with 121 RBI. In his third full season, Foster used his trademark black bat to launch 52 homers and drive in 149 runs for the “Big Red Machine.” He eventually led the major leagues in RBI three consecutive seasons, while hitting at or near the .300 mark. He had ten seasons of 2 or more homers, and he retired with 348 on his ledger.
Biography:
Foster excelled in track, football, and baseball at El Camino College in California, drawing the attention of the Giants, who made him their third pick in the January 1968 draft. It took seven seasons in the majors and minors, with two organizations, before Foster arrived with Cincinnati to stay. The 6’1″ 180-lb outfielder soon became an important cog in the Big Red Machine of the 1970s.
Foster became a regular in 1975. A mediocre fielder at best, Foster had a strong but inaccurate arm. He was a better than average baserunner. But he made a name for himself as a powerful, productive hitter who had five of the best seasons of any player of his time. Foster’s three consecutive RBI championships (1976-78) tied a ML record. In 1977, his MVP year, he hit .320 with 149 RBI and 124 runs and blasted 52 HR to become only the seventh NL player to hit 50 or more in a season. He hit three straight homers in a July 14 game that season, and his 31 road homers set the ML record for righthanded batters. In 1978 Foster again led the NL with 40 HR.
After eleven seasons and three World Series with Cincinnati, Foster was traded to the Mets in 1982. Signing him to a five-year contract worth over $10 million, the team’s new owners, Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon, showed their willingness to spend money to rebuild the Mets. He hit just 13 HR that year, 28 the next, and was considered a disappointment. Word got around among NL pitchers that he wouldn’t lay off low curveballs, and he regularly struck out on curves in the dirt. Foster was released by the Mets in August of their World Championship 1986 season. The struggling veteran, hitting .227 at the time, claimed he was the victim of racism, but he failed to regain his stroke after the White Sox picked him up. He retired tied for tenth in career grand slams with 13.
@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@
Vintage Baseball HOT ON EBAY
Card Collections ENDING SOON ON EBAY
MOST WANTED ROOKIE CARDS
VINTAGE SPORTS TICKETS
Baseball Hall of Famers
Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts
Coming soon
Other Resources & Links
Coming Soon
If you would like to add a link or add information for player pages, please contact us here.