Sad news for the Pirates as star player was involved in a deadly incident after …
According to Jami Frankenberry of The Virginian-Pilot, former All Star catcher Hank Foiles died late last month at 94. Foiles played 11 seasons in the majors for the Reds, Indians, Pirates, Athletics, Tigers, Orioles, and Angels. Foiles joined the Yankees at 19 in 1948, but he didn’t make his big league debut for several years. The Reds drafted him in 1951 Rule 5, but he didn’t make his MLB debut until 1953. He had three hits in his first 20 major league at-bats in 12 games for Cincinnati and Cleveland that season. In 1955, Foiles and Hal Naragon alternated as backups to five-time All-Star Jim Hegan. That year, Foiles hit.261 with a.354 on-base percentage in 132 plate appearances.
Foiles played one more game for Cleveland before being moved to Pittsburgh in 1956. Despite a poor first year at the plate, he became the Pirates’ daily catcher in 1957 and 1958, making his time in Pittsburgh the most important of his career. Foiles’ glove-first style and above-average offense earned him his one All Star nod in 1957, when he hit.270/.352/.431. He was on the 1957 NL All-Star team with Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, and Henry Aaron, opposing AL stars Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams. Foiles pinch-hit with Willie Mays on third base in the bottom of the ninth inning, got a wild pitch to score Mays and bring the NL within two, then singled against longtime White Sox star Billy Pierce. After an Ernie Banks single, Foiles scored from second, but the NL lost 6-5.
Foiles stayed in Pittsburgh for two more seasons after his All Star season, and while his offense regressed to.209/.314/.355, he still made 157 appearances and 402 plate appearances. In 1959-60, Foiles was transferred to the Kansas City Athletics but only played six games before returning to the Pirates. He was traded to Cleveland as their backup catcher before joining the Tigers in late July. He finished the 1960 season in Detroit but was drafted again in November, spending the year with five different teams.
Foiles returned to his old form as a backup catcher with the Orioles and Reds, slashing.275/.338/.482 in 43 games over two years. Foiles joined the Angels in 1963 and played 45 games over two seasons, batting.216/.289/.386. His last major league game was on May 2, 1964, a month before his 35th birthday. Foiles, a.243/.321/.392 hitter in 608 major league games, had 353 hits, 46 home runs, and 166 RBI.
MLBTR consoles the Foiles family, friends, fans, and others mourning him around the game.
