Status: Cincinnati Reds outfielder 1971-1981.
DOB: December 1, 1948 In: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
First Baseball Memory: “Watching the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium (age 12). Meeting some of the Dodger players – Tommy Davis, Maury Wills. I remember them telling me about the hard work it takes to be a ballplayer. And they urged me to be a Dodger, they said being a Dodger was the best.”
Nicknames: “Yahtzee from Pete Rose. His dad said Yahtzee in German is George which I found out later isn’t true. Pete always strived to give nicknames to his teammates. The newspaper reporters called me The Destroyer.”
Childhood Dreams: “I wanted to play baseball. I didn’t know about all the different levels back then. I was born in Alabama but we moved to California when I was eight. I heard about Willie Mays. I began to follow Willie Mays and wanted to play for the Giants.”
Baseball Inspirations: “Willie Mays was the draw. I wanted to follow his foodsteps.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Probably getting the opportunity to play Major League Baseball. I was called up to the Giants after my second year of pro ball. I thought it would take four years.”
Most Painful Moment: “Probably getting released from the Mets in 1986.”
Favorite Uniforms: “Hmmm…I like the Reds. The sleeveless and the pinstripes.”
Closest Baseball Friends: “Number one – Ken Griffey Sr. Bobby Bonds – he passed on. Mookie Wilson.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “Probably Wilbur Howard. And J.R. Richard. J.R. had the uncanny ability to make a serious moment funny.”
Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Cesar Cedeno and Pete Rose.”
Favorite Players To Watch: “Ichiro. I love to watch him play. Cesar Cedeno. They looked at him as the next Willie Mays. He had all five tools.”
Favorite Sport Outside Baseball: “It was tennis. Now it’s golf. I wish I took it up sooner. It’s a good time with the strategy and relaxation that the game gives.”
Funny Baseball Memory: “It’s kind of a long story. During the course of my career I had a rubber ball which I would squeeze to keep my hands strong. One day, just before infield practice, at home in Cincinnati, we were in our white uniforms. Dan Driessen had a bottle of Coke at the top of his locker. I visualized bouncing the ball off the wall, meant to knock it over. It was like a miracle toss with perfect accuracy and timing. The ball hit the bottle which was open and it spilled all over Dan Driessen and his uniform [smiles]. The bottle stayed on the shelf too. Dan had to rush to get another uniform for infield practice.”
Strangest Game: “The Mets against the Phillies. We lost about 27-10. There was a friction between the manager and myself. I had to play the whole game. I chased so many balls in the outfield, that after the game I said I probably rushed for more yards than Tony Dorsett. Gary Matthews should have one more career hit because I trapped a catch against the wall and the umpires missed it. It looked like a catch but it wasn’t a catch.”
Embarrassing Baseball Memory: “At Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. I always envision this. Steve Garvey hit a ball which hit on the heel of my glove while I was jumping up to catch it and it bounced off the heel of my glove for a home run. So it all evens out, Steve Garvey has an extra home run that he shouldn’t have. Friends and family were there watching. They showed the video replay over and over. To this day Steve Garvey didn’t even say thank you [smiles].”
Greatest Reds Moment: “MVP overall. Just hitting three home runs in one game against the Philadelphia Phillies was a great moment.”
Most Memorable Home Run: “Home run against Andy Messersmith at Dodger Stadium. He pitched a two-hitter. I got both of the hits and the home run was to win the game.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “People who have the passion in what they want to do in life. A person that wants to always improve him or herself.”
Current Activity: “George Foster Pro Concepts. We do camps and clinics for kids of the military and inner city kids in the Cincinnati area, ages 8-17. We also do fundraisers. If people have 50 or more kids and a venue to do the camp, we’ll come to the venue to do it. For more information, people can call 513-886-5300. Our web site is www.Fosterbootcamp.com.”
Career Accomplishments: Two-time World Series champ (1975 and ‘76); Five-time All-Star; 1977 N.L. MVP; 1976 All-Star Game MVP; Career totals of 348 homers, 1,239 RBI, 1,925 hits and .274 BA in 1,977 games played; Played for San Francisco, Cincinnati, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox from 1969-1986.
Topics: Bobby Bonds, Childhood Dreams, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Reds Outfielder, Dodger Stadium, Five Tools, George Foster, Giants Baseball, Greatest Sports, Ken Griffey Sr, Major League Baseball, Maury Wills, Mookie Wilson, Painful Moment, Pete Rose, Sports Moment, Tommy Davis, Tuscaloosa Alabama, Willie Mays, Yahtzee
Biofile with George Foster | 