Raymond Earl Fosse (born April 4, 1947 in Marion, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He was drafted in the first round of the 1965 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians and debuted on September 8, 1967^[1]. Fosse also holds the distinction of being the Indians' first ever draft pick, as 1965 was the first year of the Major League Baseball Draft. He batted and threw right-handed.

Arguably, Ray Fosse is most famous for being bowled over by the Cincinnati Reds' Pete Rose at home plate in the last play of the 1970 All-Star Game.^[2][3] Rose scored the winning run, while the collision separated Fosse's right shoulder. The injury is often incorrectly cited as what caused the downfall of Fosse's career. In reality, Fosse played 42 games in the second half of 1970, and was an All-Star again in 1971. Rose asserted he was simply trying to win the game; however, he was widely criticized by some for over-aggressiveness in what essentially was an exhibition game. In a twist of fate, when Rose was sentenced to five months in prison for tax evasion, he was sent to the US penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, Fosse's hometown.^[3]

What effectively ended Fosse's career happened in 1974, Fosse, by then an Oakland Athletic, suffered a far worse injury than a dislocated shoulder. On June 5 he suffered a crushed disk in his neck attempting to break up a clubhouse fight between teammates Reggie Jackson and Billy North. He was on the disabled list for three months.

He played twelve major league seasons with the Cleveland Indians (1967-1972), the Oakland Athletics (1973-1975), Cleveland again in 1976 and part of 1977, before being traded to the Seattle Mariners. He played his final season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1979.^[4]

Fosse caught Dennis Eckersley's no-hitter versus the California Angels on May 30, 1977 as a member of the Indians.^[5][6] He was a member of two World Series Champion clubs: the 1973 and 1974 A's, and also a member of the inaugural Seattle Mariners team that began playing in 1977.^[7][8][9] Fosse won Gold Glove Awards in 1970 and 1971.^[10]

[edit] Broadcaster

Fosse is a color commentator for the Oakland Athletics on Comcast Sports Network, KICU, and occasionally on the A's radio broadcasts when the game is not on TV or is on national television.^[11] He has served as the color analyst for the Oakland Athletics' radio and television broadcasts since 1986.

[edit] References

• 1971 Baseball Register published by The Sporting News

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Retrosheet