George Foster (baseball)

George Arthur Foster (born December 1, 1948 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) is a former left fielder and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox from 1969-1986.

A 5-time All-Star (1976-79, 1981), Foster was a member of the 1970s Big Red Machine, leading the league in home runs in 1977-78, runs batted in from 1976-78, and OPS in 1977.

In 1977, Foster hit 52 home runs, making him the only major league player to belt 50 or more homers in a single season during a 25-year period (between Willie Mays with 52 in 1965 and Cecil Fielder with 51 in 1990). The next batters to hit 50 HRs in the National League were Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998. In recognition of his accomplishment, Foster received the NL's MVP award by a unanimous vote.

In his career he hit for a .274 batting average, with 348 HRs, 1239 RBI, 1925 hits and 986 runs scored in 1977 games played.

Trivia

Foster is a born-again Christian and spends time instructing youth in baseball techniques.
Foster was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003.
Foster played baseball, football and ran track at El Camino College before being drafted.
Foster is a motivational speaker in the United States.
Foster's nickname in Cincinnati was "The Destroyer".

External links

Career statistics from Baseball Reference
Baseball Library