When remembering the glory days of the Big Red Machine, the first names that come to mind are Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, and manager Sparky Anderson. Bench, Morgan, Perez, and Anderson are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Rose would be a member as well if he had not been removed from the ballot because of the lifetime ban imposed by Commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989.
George Foster is not included in the same hallowed category as Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez, and Anderson, but the significant contributions that Foster made to the Big Red Machine should not be forgotten.
Foster was a dominant slugger in the mid to late 1970s, winning the 1977 NL MVP while earning All-Star selections from 1976-79 and again in 1981, when he also finished third in NL MVP voting while capturing the Silver Slugger award. Foster batted .289 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 23 career postseason games, including .326 in 13 World Series games as he helped the Reds win back to back World Series titles in 1975-76. He ranked among the NL's top 10 home run hitters nine times (1975-81, 1983-84), including winning a pair of NL home run titles in 1977-78. In his 18 season MLB career, Foster bashed 348 home runs, collected 1239 RBI, and batted .274 with four seasons of .300 or better.
Here are front and back pictures of two Kellogg's 3-D Super Stars cards featuring George Foster:
On Saturday June 7, my daughter Rachel and I went to the Dayton Dragons "Meet the Team" event, where we got our picture taken with George Foster:
Before the photographer took the picture, I shook Foster's hand, told him that he and the Big Red Machine were a memorable part of my childhood, and recited some of the statistics listed above, noting that I have explained to Rachel how much he accomplished, including having the only 50 home run season between Willie Mays (1965) and Cecil Fielder (1990). Foster's eyes opened wide, and he said quietly, "Not too many people know that. You memorized my stats!"
That brief interaction inspired me to write this article so that more people will remember and appreciate Foster and his outstanding MLB career.
Foster began his career with the San Francisco Giants as a third round draft pick who steadily improved until he became one of the best sluggers of his era. With the Giants, he did not advance past being the fourth outfielder behind Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, and Ken Henderson. Early during the 1971 season, the Giants traded Foster to the Cincinnati Reds for shortstop Frank Duffy and pitcher Vern Geishert. The 1970 Reds lost 4-1 to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, but the 1971 Reds did not qualify for postseason play. In 104 games with the 1971 Reds, Foster ranked fifth on the team in home runs (10) and RBI (50). Overall, he had 13 home runs and 58 RBI that season. In 1972 and 1973, Foster had stints in the minor leagues while also playing a reserve role with the Reds. He participated in three of the Reds' 12 postseason games in 1972 as the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in the NLCS before losing 4-3 to the Oakland A's in the World Series. In 1974, Foster had seven home runs and 41 RBI in 106 games with the Reds.
In 1975, manager Sparky Anderson moved Pete Rose from left field to third base to create room in the starting lineup for Foster, and the Reds won 108 regular season games to tie the 1970 Baltimore Orioles for the most regular season wins by a team in the 1970s; that total is still tied for 10th on MLB's all-time single season wins list for teams, and was not matched again until the 1986 New York Mets won 108 games. Foster ranked third on the team in home runs (23, seventh in the NL), fourth in RBI (78), and fourth in batting average (.300). In the 1975 World Series, Foster hit .276 with two RBI as the Reds beat the Red Sox 4-3 to claim their first title since 1940.
In 1976, Foster claimed the first of his three consecutive NL RBI titles with an MLB-leading 121 while also ranking fourth in the NL in home runs (29), ninth in runs scored (86), and 10th in hits (172). He finished second in NL regular season MVP voting behind Joe Morgan. The Reds went undefeated in the 1976 postseason, the only team to accomplish that feat in the Divisional era, which started in 1969. Foster led the 1976 Reds in postseason RBI (eight) and ranked second in home runs (two).
Foster led MLB in home runs (52), RBI (149), slugging percentage (.631), and total bases (388) in 1977. He missed out on the NL triple crown by .018 in the batting average race, finishing third (.320). He led the NL in runs scored (124). Foster won the NL regular season MVP, and it is unfortunate that his remarkable production has faded from memory. Long before performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) defiled MLB's once hallowed record book, Foster set a single season Reds home run record that still stands, and at that time he was just the 10th MLB player to have a 50 home run season. Foster also still holds the team's single season RBI record.
Foster belted an NL-leading 40 home runs in 1978, and he won his third straight NL RBI title with 120. No NL player has won three consecutive RBI titles since 1978. He finished sixth in NL regular season MVP voting.
Injuries limited Foster to 121 games in 1979, but he still led the Reds in home runs (30, sixth in the NL) and RBI (98, sixth in the NL). After a two year absence from postseason play, the Reds won the NL West with a 90-71 record before being swept 3-0 in the NLCS by the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates, who went on to win the World Series.
The Reds began dismantling the Big Red Machine, but Foster remained productive. He ranked eighth in the NL in home runs (25) and RBI (93) in 1980, and during the strike-shortened 1981 season he ranked third in the NL in home runs (22) and second in RBI (90). Foster finished third in 1981 NL regular season MVP voting. Foster was included in the 1981 book "The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time" by Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig.
Prior to the 1982 season, the Reds traded Foster to the New York Mets for Greg Harris, Jim Kern, and Alex Trevino. Foster did not play well in 1982, but he bounced back in 1983 to rank sixth in the NL in home runs (28) and eighth in RBI (90). Foster again ranked sixth in the NL in home runs (24) in 1984. He had his last 20 home run season (21) in 1985 with the Mets before splitting the 1986 season with the Mets and the Chicago White Sox.
Hall of Fame voting is subjective with the exception of a few obvious first ballot choices, and it is an unfortunate reality that popularity with the media members who vote is a factor for candidates who did not post signature career numbers such as 500 career home runs, 1500 career RBI, or a .300 career batting average. The soft-spoken Foster never received serious consideration during the four years that he appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot. A strong argument could be made that he deserves to be a Hall of Famer based on playing a key role for dominant back to back World Series champions along with being a productive home run hitter and RBI producer for nearly a decade. Foster's AL contemporary, Jim Rice, posted similar career numbers and had to wait until his 15th (and final) year of eligibility before he was selected as a Hall of Famer in 2009. Since Foster is no longer on the ballot, his only chance is to be selected by the Era Committee. Foster was selected as a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003.
