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Rube Foster (AL pitcher)
Encyclopedia
George "Rube" Foster was a former Major League Baseball
player. Foster was a right-handed pitcher
with the Boston Red Sox
from to and won two World Series
championships with the team in and again in .
Foster was picked up by the Boston Red Sox
and made his major league debut for the team on April 10, . Foster acted as a starting pitcher
and a relief pitcher
for the team during the 19 games he pitched in during the season. Foster posted a 3-3 record with a 3.16 ERA
and 36 strikeouts in 68.3 innings pitched
.
Foster's sophomore season in the big leagues was one of his best, in which he pitched in 32 games, while starting in 27 of them. He finished with a 14-8 record, and finished second in the American League
with an impressive 1.70 ERA
. Foster was only behind his Boston Red Sox
teammate, Dutch Leonard
, who posted a 0.96 ERA
, which is now considered the modern day all-time single-season record.
In , Foster posted a 20-8 record, and another impressive 2.11 ERA
. Foster most effectively showed his importance to the team in the 1915 World Series
where he picked up 2 complete game
wins
and only gave up 4 earned runs and struck out 13 batters in 18.0 innings
. With the bat, Foster went 4-for-8, with a double and an RBI.
Foster had another good campaign in acting as a starting pitcher and relief pitcher. He went 14-7 in the season, and posted a decent 3.06 ERA
. In the 1916 World Series
, Foster came in relief in Game 3, and pitched three scoreless innings. The Red Sox ended up winning the series 4 games to 1, and became the first back-to-back winners of the World Series
since the Philadelphia Athletics
had done it 5 years earlier.
Foster went back to a mainly starting role in , posting an 8-7 record with a 2.53 ERA
.
Before the start of the season, Foster was traded to the Cincinnati Reds
for Dave Shean
. Rube Foster refused to report to his new team and so the Red Sox sent cash to the Reds to complete the trade.
Rube Foster's baseball career ended, and he finished his major league career with 58-33 career pitching record, a 2.36 earned run average
and 294 strikeouts in 842.3 innings pitched
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. Foster was a right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
from to and won two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championships with the team in and again in .
Foster was picked up by the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and made his major league debut for the team on April 10, . Foster acted as a starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
for the team during the 19 games he pitched in during the season. Foster posted a 3-3 record with a 3.16 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and 36 strikeouts in 68.3 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
Foster's sophomore season in the big leagues was one of his best, in which he pitched in 32 games, while starting in 27 of them. He finished with a 14-8 record, and finished second in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with an impressive 1.70 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. Foster was only behind his Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
teammate, Dutch Leonard
Dutch Leonard (left-handed pitcher)
Hubert Benjamin "Dutch" Leonard, was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1913–1921, 1924-1925. He played for the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, and holds the major league modern-era record for the lowest single-season ERA of all time — 0.96...
, who posted a 0.96 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, which is now considered the modern day all-time single-season record.
In , Foster posted a 20-8 record, and another impressive 2.11 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. Foster most effectively showed his importance to the team in the 1915 World Series
1915 World Series
In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one.In their only World Series before , the Phillies won Game 1 before being swept the rest of the way. It was 65 years before the Phillies won their next Series game...
where he picked up 2 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
and only gave up 4 earned runs and struck out 13 batters in 18.0 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
. With the bat, Foster went 4-for-8, with a double and an RBI.
Foster had another good campaign in acting as a starting pitcher and relief pitcher. He went 14-7 in the season, and posted a decent 3.06 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. In the 1916 World Series
1916 World Series
In the 1916 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Robins four games to one.Casey Stengel shone on offense for the Robins in the 1916 Series but the Red Sox pitching core ultimately proved too much for the denizens of Flatbush...
, Foster came in relief in Game 3, and pitched three scoreless innings. The Red Sox ended up winning the series 4 games to 1, and became the first back-to-back winners of the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
since the Philadelphia Athletics
1911 Philadelphia Athletics season
The 1911 Philadelphia Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The A's finished first in the American League with a record of 101 wins and 50 losses, then went on to defeat the New York Giants in the 1911 World Series, four games to two, for their second straight World...
had done it 5 years earlier.
Foster went back to a mainly starting role in , posting an 8-7 record with a 2.53 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
Before the start of the season, Foster was traded to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Dave Shean
Dave Shean
David William Shean was a reserve infielder/outfielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a second baseman from through for the Philadelphia Athletics , Philadelphia Phillies , Boston Doves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Braves , Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox...
. Rube Foster refused to report to his new team and so the Red Sox sent cash to the Reds to complete the trade.
Rube Foster's baseball career ended, and he finished his major league career with 58-33 career pitching record, a 2.36 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and 294 strikeouts in 842.3 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.