Ray Fosse obit

2-time champ, A's broadcaster Fosse dies

 

 He was not on the list.

All-Star catcher, two-time World Series champion and longtime broadcaster Ray Fosse has passed away, the A’s announced on Wednesday. Fosse was 74.

Fosse announced in August that he was stepping away from the A’s broadcast booth to fully devote his efforts toward a 16-year battle with cancer. His medical condition was not widely known to the public prior to his announcement, which evoked an outpouring of support from A’s fans and across baseball. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Carol, and his daughters, Nikki and Lindsey.

“The Oakland A's are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Ray Fosse,” the team said in a statement. “Few people epitomize what it means to be an Athletic more than Ray. He was the type of franchise icon who always made sure every player, coach, colleague, and fan knew that they were part of the Oakland A's family. We send our deepest condolences to Carol, Nikki and Lindsey, his family and friends during this difficult time. We'll miss you, Ray.”

Born and raised as a fan of Stan Musial and the Cardinals in Marion, Illinois, Fosse was a three-sport star in high school before attending Southern Illinois University. Cleveland selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the inaugural 1965 MLB Draft and he garnered attention with a 23-game hitting streak in 1970, his first full season in the big leagues.

Fosse’s play earned him a selection to that year’s All-Star Game as a reserve, and it was in that Midsummer Classic that Fosse both introduced himself to a national audience and encountered the first serious adversity of his career. On the final play of the game, Reds superstar Pete Rose barreled into Fosse at home plate, fracturing and separating the young backstop’s shoulder while scoring the winning run.

Fosse would feel the effects of that collision for the rest of his career and the rest of his life, but he hit .297 across his last 42 games of the 1970 season and earned another All-Star nod with Cleveland in ’71 -- despite suffering more crushing injuries, including a gash in his right hand that required stiches and a torn ligament in his left hand that kept him out of the Midsummer Classic. Fosse gutted through those injuries, taking home Gold Glove Awards in both seasons. When Gaylord Perry won the American League Cy Young Award with Cleveland in 1972, he went out of his way to credit his catcher.

"I've got to split it up and give part, a big part, to my catcher, Ray Fosse,” said Perry. “He kept pushing me in games when I didn't have good stuff. He'd come out and show me that big fist of his when I wasn't bearing down the way he thought I should."

That would be Fosse’s final season in Cleveland, as he was traded to Oakland on March 24, 1973, in a move that would change his life. He joined the reigning World Series champion A’s and helped them capture two more titles to cement a dynasty. Three 20-game winners -- Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter and Ken Holtzman -- pitched to Fosse behind the plate in ‘73, and he threw out four would-be basestealers in that year’s ALCS against the Orioles. Fosse went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer against Baltimore in the following year’s ALCS Game 2.

Fosse returned to Cleveland after the 1975 season and finished his career with stints in Seattle and Milwaukee. He moved on to a successful second career as a broadcaster, joining the A’s radio and television broadcasts in 1986 and becoming a mainstay there until he stepped away this summer.

“NBC Sports California is deeply saddened to learn of Ray Fosse’s passing,” said the television network as part of the A’s statement. “Our thoughts are with his wife, Carol, his daughters, Nikki and Lindsey, and his family as we mourn the loss of a truly exceptional colleague and friend. Ray’s deep connection and significant impact on NBC Sports California, the A’s franchise and the fanbase over a half century as a player, broadcaster and ambassador will endure well into the future. We are thankful to have known Ray and fortunate to have been a part of his tremendous life and career. He will be greatly missed.”

Johnny Bench tweeted - Dammit someone just told me #rayfosse passed away. I know he was battling cancer but this is the worst news. What a wonderful man! @Indians @Athletics

Vince Cotroneo tweeted Ray made me feel welcome on day one and I am forever grateful. Nothing but great memories.  Lots of stories and laughter and baseball. It is an enormous hole in the A’s family and in the booth . Prayers to Carol, Lindsey, Nikki and the grandkids. Love you Ray.

Sean Doolittle tweeted Heartbroken to hear of baseball legend Ray Fosse’s passing. He was so fun to be around. I’ll always remember his powerful handshakes, positive energy & his storytelling - he had a way of making you feel connected to the history of baseball and the Oakland A’s. We’ll miss you Ray.

Dennis Eckersley tweeted My deepest condolences to the Fosse family. Ray was a dear friend.  I cherished our long history and will miss him dearly. Oakland Coliseum will never be the same without Ray.

The Cleveland Indians selected Fosse in the first round of the 1965 MLB draft. Fosse played three seasons in the minor leagues before making his major-league debut with the Indians on September 8, 1967, at the age of 20. He returned to the minor leagues for the 1968 season, where he posted a .301 batting average in 103 games for the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League.

Returning to the Indians in 1970, he platooned alongside Duke Sims. In the first half of 1970, he posted a .313 batting average with 16 home runs and 45 runs batted in. He hit in 23 consecutive games beginning June 9, the longest American League (AL) hitting streak since 1961, and was chosen as a reserve for the 1970 All-Star Game by Earl Weaver, the American League manager.

Fosse continued to be plagued by injuries in 1971 when he was kicked in his right hand during a brawl against the Detroit Tigers on June 20, sustaining a gash that required five stitches and sidelined him for more than a week. When he returned, he tore a ligament in his left hand during an at-bat against Denny McLain, forcing him to miss the 1971 All-Star Game.

In 1973, Cleveland traded Fosse and Jack Heidemann to the Oakland Athletics for Dave Duncan and George Hendrick. He played in 143 games that season, the most of his career, on a team with three 20-game-winning pitchers: Ken Holtzman, Vida Blue, and Catfish Hunter. Fosse guided the Athletics pitching staff to the second best team earned run average as well the second most shutouts in the American League as, the Athletics won the AL Western Division pennant by six games over the Kansas City Royals. The Athletics then defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Championship Series. Fosse made his mark in the series, throwing out five would-be base stealers. The Athletics went on to win the World Series against the New York Mets.

The Athletics repeated as world champions in 1974, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, but injuries once again plagued Fosse. On June 5, he suffered a crushed disc in his neck attempting to break up a locker room fight between teammates Reggie Jackson and Billy North, and spent three months on the disabled list. The Athletics won a fifth consecutive division title in 1975, but by then, Gene Tenace had replaced Fosse as the starting catcher. Fosse did participate in a combined no-hitter in the final game of the season, catching for Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers in the final three innings.

The Athletics traded Fosse back to the Indians in 1976 where he again became the starting catcher, only to return to the disabled list after a home-plate collision with Jim Rice. When he returned he was platooned with Alan Ashby. Fosse ended the year with a .301 batting average. On May 30, 1977, he caught Dennis Eckersley's no-hitter versus the California Angels. Eckersley acknowledged Fosse's contribution to the no-hitter: "Give Fosse a lot of credit too," he said. "He called a helluva game. I think I only shook him off three times." When Jeff Torborg replaced Frank Robinson as manager of the Indians in June 1977, he again placed Fosse in a platoon role with Fred Kendall. In September, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners.

After finishing the year with the Mariners, he signed a contract to play for the Milwaukee Brewers, but during spring training, he tripped in a hole while running down the first base line and sustained injuries to his right leg. The most serious injury required the reconstruction of a knee ligament, forcing him to miss the entire season. He came back in 1979, but played in only 19 games; in 1980, he was released at the close of spring training.