Books and articles about George Foster

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.

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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. (EW)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 22, 1969: Willie Mays joins Babe Ruth in the 600-homer club with a blast off Mike Corkins, while batting for rookie George Foster. Bobby Bonds sets a major-league record with his 176th strikeout, as San Francisco beats San Diego 4–2. » May 29, 1971: In a great trade for Cincinnati, the Giants ship OF George Foster to the Reds for SS Frank Duffy and P Vern Geishert. » June 4, 1971: At Riverfront Stadium, the Reds recover from being no hit to roll over the Cards, 12–0. Ross Grimsley pitches his first ML shutout and is backed by a 17 hit attack. George Foster and Tony Perez each have four hits. » September 16, 1971: At Candlestick, George Foster hits an 8th inning grand slam to pace the Reds to an 8–1 win over the Giants. » May 31, 1972: The red-hot Reds beat the Astros, 12–4 in Houston. George Foster has a 3rd inning grand slam. » April 24, 1974: A scoreless dual between the Cubs Bill Bonham and the Reds Jack Billingham ends with a bases-loaded 9th inning walk to George Foster. The Reds beat the Cubs, 1–0. » April 7, 1975: The Big Red Machine opens against the Dodgers in Cincinnati and goes 14 innings before George Foster's infield hit scores Cesar Geronimo with the winner, 2–1. Pat Darcy is the winner over Charlie Hough. » May 3, 1975: The Reds switch Pete Rose from left field to 3B, opening a lineup spot for utility OF George Foster. Over the next four seasons, Foster will average 36 home runs, 117 RBI, and a .302 BA, helping the Reds to two World Championships. Gary Nolan, making a comeback after shoulder problems sidelined him in 1973-74, stops the Braves, 6–1. It is Nolan's first win since October 1972. » June 28, 1975: At Riverfront Stadium, George Foster hits a 2-out 2-run homer in the 10th inning to give the Reds a 6–4 win over the Padres. » August 2, 1975: In Los Angeles, George Foster's home run off Andy Messersmith is the only score as the Reds win, 1–0. The unrelated Carrolls -- Tom Carroll and Clay Carroll -— combine for the Reds. » August 11, 1975: George Foster has five hits to lead the Reds to a 9–3 win over the visiting Cubs. » August 14, 1975: The Reds George Foster continues his hot hitting, collecting five RBIs in a 6–1 win over the visiting Pirates. » May 9, 1976: The Reds score another 14 runs to beat the Cubs, 14–2. Ken Griffey hits a grand slam, one of six homers hit by the Reds. Tony Perez has a pair with George Foster, Dan Driessen, and Pete Rose leaving the park as well. » May 22, 1976: The Reds thrash the Padres, 11–0, as George Foster drives in five runs. » May 25, 1976: For the 2nd day in a row, George Foster drives in five runs as the Reds whip the Braves, 10–4. Foster also had five RBIs on the 22nd. » July 9, 1976: Before 53,328 in Cincinnati, the Pirates score two runs in the 10th on a Richie Zisk homer and take an 11–9 lead, only to lose to the Reds, 12-11. George Foster's single scores the tying and winning runs. » July 13, 1976: The National League emerges victorious in the annual All-Star Game by a score of 7–1. George Foster, one of seven Reds position players on the squad, homers, drives in three runs, is named the game's MVP. Rookie Mark Fidrych gives up two runs and takes the loss. It is the NL's 13th win in the last 14 games. » October 9, 1976: Pete Rose has 3 hits and George Foster homers as the Reds top the Phillies 6-3 in the first game of the NL Championship Series. » October 12, 1976: The Reds score 7 times in the final 3 innings to secure a 7-6 win and complete a sweep of the LCS. Johnny Bench and George Foster hit successive HRs to start the rally. » November 24, 1976: The Reds Joe Morgan outpoints teammate George Foster to win his 2nd straight National League MVP Award. Morgan led with a .576 slugging average, and hit .320, scored 113 runs, knocked in 111, and stole a base. » April 25, 1977: The Reds score a record-tying 12 runs in the 5th inning off three Braves pitchers (Phil Niekro, Jamie Easterly, and Mike Beard), and 23 in the game, in crushing the Braves, 23–9. George Foster clouts two homers, a double and single, scores five runs and drives home seven to lead Cincy. The previous time 12 runs scored in an inning was September 3, 1926, also allowed by the Braves. » July 14, 1977: In Cincinnati, George Foster cracks three home runs to drive in five runs against the Reds 7–1 whipping of the Braves. Tom Seaver pitches a two hitter for the win, and doesn't give up a hit until the 7th inning when Willie Montanez doubles. » September 23, 1977: George Foster belts home run #50, off Buzz Capra, as the Reds beat the Braves, 5–1. Foster is the first Reds player to reach 50 homers: Ted Kluszewski held the Reds record with 49 homers in 1954. » November 9, 1977: The Reds George Foster wins the National League MVP Award. Foster batted .320 and led the league in home runs (52), RBI (149), runs (124), total bases (388), and slugging (.631). » April 6, 1978: In a rain-delayed season opener in Cincinnati, Houston's Terry Puhl leads off with a homer against Tom Seaver, who allows five runs in three innings. But led by Joe Morgan's pair of two-run doubles and a homer, the Reds prevail, 11–9. In the bottom of the 7th, with Morgan on 3B and George Foster on 1B, Dan Driessen strikes out and Foster is caught stealing 2B, Ferguson to Roger Metzger. Morgan tries to score on the play and is thrown out on the return. According to Retrosheet, this is apparently the first triple play begun with a strikeout. In 1982, the Twins will start a triple play with a strikeout. » April 8, 1979: George Foster's grand slam helps the Reds to come back as they beat the Giants, 7–6, in 10 innings. » June 3, 1979: The Phils tops the Reds, 6–4, then lose 12–2 in the nitecap. George Foster has three homers for the Reds. » September 11, 1979: In Cincinnati, the Reds edge the Astros, 9–8 to move into first place for good in the National League West. Dave Concepcion and George Foster hit back-to-back homers in the 7th, good for three runs and a Reds lead. » April 9, 1980: The Reds Tom Seaver is scratched from his Opening Day start against the Braves because of the flu, and his replacement, Frank Pastore, tosses a 3-hit shutout. Braves P Phil Niekro is on the short end of the 9–0 decision. George Foster knocks a 2-run double off Niekro in the first inning, and receives credit for the first game-winning RBI, a newly created ML stat that will survive till the end of the 1988 season. » April 21, 1980: George Foster has a home run and four singles to lead the visiting Reds to a 6–5 win over the Astros. » May 27, 1980: In the 3rd inning at Riverfront Stadium, Don Sutton serves up consecutive homers to Ken Griffey, George Foster, and Dan Driessen. The homer outage is good for five runs in the Reds 6–1 win over the Dodgers. » August 29, 1980: Behind George Foster's six RBIs, the Reds overcome a 5–0 deficit to beat the Pirates 8–7 in Pittsburgh. » February 10, 1982: The Mets agree to a new 5-year contract with slugging OF George Foster, completing a trade that sends pitchers Jim Kern and Greg Harris and C Alex Trevino to the Reds. Foster will fizzle in New York, as will the Reds new players. » August 8, 1984: The Cubs tighten their grip on first place in the National League East with a 7–6 win over the Mets at Wrigley Field, completing a 4-game series sweep. Keith Moreland leads the way with three hits and four RBIs. Hubie Brooks is 4-for-4 with four runs for New York. Davey Johnson gets tossed in the 7th after Bob Dernier gets hit by a pitch, a continuation of yesterday's beanballing. Cubs manager Jim Frey follows Johnson in the 9th when Smith throws behind George Foster. » August 6, 1986: The Mets release outfielder George Foster, the last National League player to hit 50 home runs in one season. Foster will play 15 games for the White Sox before retiring for good.