Tim Foli

Infobox MLB retired
name = Tim Foli
position = Shortstop
bats = Right
throws = Right
birthdate = birth date and age|mf=yes|1950|12|8
city-state|Culver City|California
debutdate = September 11
debutyear = 1970
debutteam = New York Mets
finaldate = June 15
finalyear = 1985
finalteam = Pittsburgh Pirates
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .251
stat2label = Hits
stat2value = 1,515
stat2label = Home Runs
stat2value = 25
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 501
teams =
* New York Mets (by|1970–by|1971)
* Montreal Expos (by|1972–by|1977)
* San Francisco Giants (by|1977)
* New York Mets (by|1978-by|1979)
* Pittsburgh Pirates (by|1979–by|1981)
* California Angels (by|1982–by|1983)
* New York Yankees (by|1984)
* Pittsburgh Pirates (by|1985)
highlights =
* World Series champion (1979)

Timothy John Foli (born December 8, 1950), nicknamed Crazy Horse,cite web
url=http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050531/COLUMNIST0201/505310352/1107
title=Zephyrs' struggles beginning to test Foli's patience
last=Biddle
first=Joe
accessdate=2006-06-18
date=2005-05-31
publisher=The Tennessean] is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels and New York Yankees from by|1970 to by|1985. At age 17, Foli was the first pick in the Major League Baseball Draft in by|1968 and went on to be a member of the 1979 World Series champion Pirates. He currently serves as the field coordinator for the Washington Nationals.

Overview

Foli was known as a fiery player who was a reliable fielder, but only an average hitter. Foli was a free swinger, especially in by|1982 when he walked only 14 times, the lowest total ever for 150 or more games played (Ozzie Guillén broke Foli's dubious record three years later). His free swinging did not aim for the fences, however, as he averaged less than two home runs per season. His lack of power, combined with a lack of running speed (averaging approximately a stolen base every 20 games), resulted in Foli typically batting either second in the lineup or near the bottom.Fact|date=October 2008 Although he accumulated few walks, Foli was also one of the most difficult to strikeout, posting the league's best strikeout percentage three times and finishing in the top ten five times.Fact|date=October 2008 Foli hit well when it counted most as he compiled a .333 batting average in the 1979 postseason contributing to Pittsburgh's last World Championship. He was an accomplished bunter, finishing in the league top ten in sacrifice hits eight times including an American League-leading 26 in 1982.Fact|date=October 2008

Defensively, Foli led league shortstops in fielding percentage in by|1980 and 1982. He led the National League in double plays twice, in total chances twice, and in putouts once. Foli's defensive low occurred on September 9, 1972 when he committed three errors in one inning, leading to three runs in an 8–3 loss.Fact|date=October 2008

Early life and career

Tim Foli was born in Culver City, California and attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California. He was a high school star in both baseball and football and was offered a football scholarship by the University of Southern California. When the New York Mets made Foli the first overall draft pick in 1968, he decided to forego football for the major leagues.

At age seventeen, Foli started out poorly with the Marion Mets of the Appalachian League. The following year, while the Mets were on their way to winning the 1969 World Series, Foli hit over .300 for their "Triple A" level minor league team, the Visalia Mets of the California League. In by|1970, Foli posted decent numbers for the AAA Tidewater Tides and the Mets called the 19-year-old up to the majors on September 11.Fact|date=October 2008 At the time, he was the fourth youngest player in the majors, behind César Cedeño, Balor Moore and Don Gullett. In his second game, Foli started at third base, picked up two hits and drove in a late insurance run as the Mets defeated the St. Louis Cardinals.Fact|date=October 2008 The defending champions faded the rest of the way and missed the playoffs.

Foli spent all of by|1971 with the Mets, fighting for playing time at second base and third base. On May 9, he had an RBI triple and a three-run double in the first two innings for his first four-RBI game.Fact|date=October 2008 It would prove to be his last four-RBI game until by|1979. In 97 games, his batting average was .226, with both his on base percentage and slugging average below .300.Fact|date=October 2008

Montreal

Before the by|1972 season, on April 5, the Mets packaged Foli with fellow young prospects Ken Singleton and Mike Jorgensen and sent them to the Montreal Expos for star outfielder Rusty Staub. Foli became a mainstay at shortstop in Montreal for the next five seasons. Although Foli, Singleton and Jorgensen played well in Montreal, the Expos never posted a winning record until after Foli was gone and even lost 107 games in by|1976.

Foli's offensive numbers in five seasons with Montreal were representative of his whole career. He batted between .238 and .264 each season, only once slugging over .300, and only once reaching .300 in on base percentage. by|1976 was the only offensive season that stood out for Foli, as he posted career highs with 36 doubles (fifth-highest in the N.L.), six home runs and a .366 slugging average. On April 21, 1976, Foli hit a single, double and triple against the Chicago Cubs before the game was suspended. When the game was resumed the next day, Foli hit a home run to complete the first cycle in Montreal Expos history. In addition, Foli's cycle was the first "natural cycle" (where the single, double, triple and home run are hit in that sequence) in almost a decade.Fact|date=October 2008

Foli was popular in Montreal, as evidenced on July 8, 1973, when Houston Astros left fielder Bob Watson slid hard into Foli at second base trying to break up a double play, breaking Foli's jaw. When Watson returned to left field in the next half-inning, the Montreal fans at Jarry Park hurled debris at him.cite web
url=http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/1973/timeline.html
title=1973 - Timeline
accessdate=2006-06-20
publisher=AstrosDaily.com] Foli missed the next month of the season.

Journeyman

After the 1977 season, Foli's original team, the Mets, purchased his contract from San Francisco. by|1978 was a typical season for Foli, who played 113 games and batted .257 while the Mets finished with the worst record in the National League.Fact|date=October 2008

Pittsburgh Championship

After playing just three games for the Mets in by|1979, Foli and a minor league player were traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for shortstop Frank Taveras. The trade sent Foli from the worst team in the league to one of the best. Pittsburgh was locked in a season-long battle with Montreal for first place, but took the lead for good in the final days of the season. Foli set career highs in batting average, RBI, runs, hits and on base percentage. He also struck out once every 38 at bats, a strikeout ratio which has not been bested since.Fact|date=October 2008

Pittsburgh went on to sweep the 1979 National League Championship Series, with Foli driving in a run in all three games. In the World Series, Foli had a hit in six of the seven games, but the Pirates were trailing three games to one. Facing 23-game winner and 1979 Cy Young Award winner Mike Flanagan, Foli scored the tying run and drove in three insurance runs to keep the Pirates alive in Game 5. Foli then scored a run in Game 6 against Jim Palmer and the Pirates forced a Game 7. In the next game, with Foli's immense help, the Pirates won the World Championship.Fact|date=October 2008

Foli posted typical numbers for him in by|1980 and the strike-shortened by|1981 season, but the Pirates, suffering from the decline of future Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, as well as other intangibles, dropped from World Champions to mediocrity.Fact|date=October 2008

Final years

After the 1981 season and shortly after his 31st birthday, Foli was traded yet again, moving from Pittsburgh to the California Angels in exchange for 22-year-old catcher Brian Harper. Foli was reunited with Gene Mauch, his manager from Montreal. He was slated to be a utility infielder for the Angels, but when Rick Burleson went down with a torn rotator cuff in mid-April, Foli spent the season as the starting shortstop.cite web
url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/B/Burleson_Rick.stm
title=Rick Burleson
accessdate=2006-06-19
publisher=BaseballLibrary.com] A mid-September winning streak propelled the Angels into first place and into the 1982 American League playoffs, but Foli managed only two hits and one RBI as the Angels lost to the Milwaukee Brewers three games to two.Fact|date=October 2008

Foli played very little in the last third of the next season, finishing with only 88 games. Towards the end of the season, Foli was suspended by the team for not being in uniform after a September 11 rain delay.cite web
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0DE1DD1038F930A2575AC0A965948260
title=Angels Suspend Foli
accessdate=2006-06-15
date=1983-09-13
publisher=The New York Times] The Angels traded Foli to the New York Yankees for pitcher Curt Kaufman after the season. In 61 games, Foli played all four infield positions for the Yankees, who traded him to his old stomping grounds in Pittsburgh after the season in a trade which brought 20-year-old Jay Buhner to the Yankees.

Foli batted just .189 in 19 games with the Pirates in by|1985, before Pittsburgh released him on June 17 and he retired at age 34.Fact|date=October 2008

Post-retirement

After retirement as a player, Tim Foli turned to coaching. He was the third base coach and infield coach for the Texas Rangers in by|1986 and by|1987.cite web
url=http://www.zephyrsbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125&Itemid=2
title=Meet the Manager: Tim Foli
accessdate=2006-06-21
publisher=New Orleans Zephyrs] During the off-season in early 1987, Foli was the manager of the Caguas, Puerto Rico team in the Caribbean World Series when his fiery personality made news. After losing the first two games to the Dominican Republic, Caguas general manager Felix Millan fired Foli, claiming he had been disrespectful.cite web
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5DD1138F934A35751C0A961948260
title=Foli Out as Manager
accessdate=2006-06-15
date=1987-02-07
publisher=The New York Times] cite web
url=http://latinobaseball.com/mlb-hcountry-pr.php
title=A Story of Four Countries
accessdate=2006-06-19
publisher=LatinoBaseball.com] Caguas recovered to win the championship.

On November 19, 1991, Foli was named the first base coach and infield coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, re-joining fellow coach Duffy Dyer, who had been a teammate of his while with the Mets.cite web
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D9113EF93AA25752C1A967958260
title=Transactions
accessdate=2006-06-21
date=1991-11-19
publisher=The New York Times] On September 29, 1995, Foli and Dyer were both let go by the Brewers.cite web
url=http://www2.jsonline.com/sports/brew/aug99/history13081299.asp
title=Fall of '97 marked the beginning of the end
last=Haudricourt
first=Tom
accessdate=2006-06-21
date=1999-08-12
publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] Foli spent by|1996 as a coach with the Kansas City Royals under manager Bob Boone, who was Foli's teammate with the California Angels.cite web
url=http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/kc/history/coaches.jsp
title=Royals Coaches
accessdate=2006-06-21
publisher=Major League Baseball] He then managed the Rookie-level Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League in by|1998 and spent by|1998 to by|2000 with the New York Mets organization as an infield and base running coordinator.

On September 16, 2000,cite web
url=http://www.cincypost.com/sports/2000/reds111700.html
title=Reds swap vets for prospects
author=Lonnie Wheeler
first=Lonnie
last=Wheeler
accessdate=2006-06-21
date=2000-11-17
work=The Cincinnati Post
publisher=E. W. Scripps Company
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041217214240/http://www.cincypost.com/sports/2000/reds111700.html
archivedate=2004-12-17] Foli began three tumultuous seasons as a coach with the Cincinnati Reds, reunited with former Angels catcher Bob Boone, who was the Reds' manager. Just a few months into his coaching job, Foli became embroiled in a physical confrontation with fellow coach, Ron Oester, after a game.cite web
url=http://www.cincypost.com/2001/jun/21/rednot062101.html
title=Reds notebook: Foli requires stitches after scuffle with Oester
author=Tony Jackson
last=Jackson
first=Tony
accessdate=2006-06-19
date=2001-06-21
work=The Cincinnati Post
publisher=E. W. Scripps Company
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061111093317/http://www.cincypost.com/2001/jun/21/rednot062101.html
archivedate=2006-11-11] Foli required stitches. The turmoil in Cincinnati did not soon end, as Oester was let go after the season, the team's superstar, Ken Griffey, Jr. was injured in four consecutive seasons, coach Ken Griffey, Sr. resigned on bad terms,cite web
url=http://www.cincypost.com/2002/feb/24/reds022402.html
title=Ken Griffey Sr. returns to scout for Reds
accessdate=2006-06-21
date=2002-02-24
work=The Cincinnati Post
publisher=E. W. Scripps Company
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050209131725/http://www.cincypost.com/2002/feb/24/reds022402.html
archivedate=2005-02-09] and the Reds posted three consecutive losing seasons. As a result, Foli, Boone, the general manager and another coach were all fired on July 28, 2003.cite web
url=http://www.cincypost.com/2003/07/28/redsfire07-28-2003.html
title=Reds shake-up
author=Tony Jackson
last=Jackson
first=Tony
accessdate=2006-06-21
date=2003-07-28
work=The Cincinnati Post
publisher=E. W. Scripps Company
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050207213423/http://www.cincypost.com/2003/07/28/redsfire07-28-2003.html
archivedate=2005-02-07]

After taking by|2004 off, Foli was hired by the Washington Nationals to be the manager of their AAA team, the New Orleans Zephyrs for by|2005.cite web
url=http://minorleaguebaseball.com/app/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050330&content_id=132&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp
title=Major changes ahead for Minors
last=Czerwinski
first=Kevin T.
accessdate=2006-06-20
date=2005-03-31
publisher=MILB.com] Brought back for by|2006, Foli left a game and took time off after suffering from apparent hyperthermia on June 9, 2006.cite web
url=http://minorleaguebaseball.com/app/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060609&content_id=89576&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp
title=Zephyrs skipper takes leave of absence
accessdate=2006-06-15
date=2006-06-09
publisher=MILB.com]

Foli's son, Daniel Foli, is a pitcher, who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 31st round of the 2001 draft. He spent three seasons in the Cubs' organization before being released.cite web
url=http://www.brooklynpapers.com/html/cyclones/html/shakespeare/2004season/27_26plays.html
title=On the hill and in the stands
last=Shakespeare
first=Ed
accessdate=2006-06-20
date=2004-07-03
publisher=BrooklynPapers.com] Dan Foli spent by|2004 and by|2005 in the New York Mets organization, until his release in April by|2006.cite web
url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/features/261150.html
title=Transactions
accessdate=2006-06-20
publisher=Baseball America] Since then, he has been in the Washington Nationals organization with his father, including one game on his father's team in New Orleans. Dan Foli was moved to the AA Harrisburg Senators on June 1, 2006.cite web
url=http://www.senatorsbaseball.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1149174173
title=June Starts With A Bang, More Moves
last=Mattern
first=Mark
accessdate=2006-06-22
date=2006-06-01
publisher=Harrisburg Senators] cite web
url=http://farmauthority.dcsportsnet.com/?p=546
title=Roster Moves 06/01/06
last=Oliver
first=Brian J.
accessdate=2006-06-22
date=2006-06-01
publisher=Nationals Farm Authority]

ee also

* Hitting for the cycle

References

External links

*baseballstats | br=f/foliti01 | cube=F/Tim-Foli
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/F/Foli_Tim.stm Tim Foli] at BaseballLibrary.com.