OAKLAND, Calif. -- Ray Fosse has died. He was a strong-armed MLB catcher who saw his career end when he was beaten by Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star Game. He was 74.
Carol Fosse, Fosse's wife of 51-years, stated in an online statement that Fosse had died Wednesday following a 16 year battle with cancer.
Fosse was a young talent for Cleveland in 1970 when he made his first All Star team at the age of 23. He also hit.307 with 18 homers, and won the first of two Gold Gloves. Fosse also threw out 55% of all attempted base stealers.
Rose smashed over Fosse to score the winning run in Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium's 12th inning. Fosse broke and fractured his left shoulder and told The Associated Press that his body still aches 45 years later.
"As much it's shown on TV, I don’t need to see it again to understand what happened. Fosse stated that it was fresh.
Ray Fosse, famously plowed into during the 1970 All-Star Game by Pete Rose, helped the Athletics win the World Series 1973 and 1974. Later, he became a popular broadcaster for A's. Herb Scharfman/Getty Images
Fosse was a first-round draft selection by Cleveland in 1965. He hails from Marion, Illinois. Fosse made his final All-Star team in 1971. However, he never repeated that great 1970 season during a 12-year career with the Oakland Athletics and the Milwaukee Brewers.
He batted.256 and had 61 homers in 924 matches. This helped the Athletics win two World Series in 1973-74.
Fosse retired from playing in the 1980s and became a broadcaster for the A’s. He began his career in 1986 and continued through the 2021 season.
The team released a statement Wednesday saying that the Oakland A's were "heartbroken" to hear about Ray's passing. Ray Fosse is the embodiment of what it means to live as an Athletic. Ray was a franchise icon, who made sure that every A's fan, coach, friend, and colleague knew they were all part of the family. We offer our deepest sympathy to Carol, Nikki, Lindsey and their families and friends in this time of sorrow. We'll miss you, Ray."
In 2015, Fosse revealed to the AP that he was suffering from pain and arthritis and had had five knee operations. He also had two bum shoulders which he never fixed, and a stiff neck.
He knew Rose's play at the All-Star Game was not his only blow. It was likely that a lot of it was due to the demands of being a catcher.
"My body hurts. Fosse stated that my shoulder still hurts. "There wasn't anyone at the time who could say, Don't play.’ I continued. This is something I take great pride in."
Fosse caught nine innings at the Kansas City Royals two days after the 1970 All-Star Game. Fosse couldn't raise his left arm over his head.
Fosse stated, "That's something people are going to continue talking about, regardless of whether they were there at the time or viewed the video and saw the result."
"There were some more difficult hits. It was an All-Star Game. People always talk about the All-Star Game highlights and lowlights.
Cleveland also issued a statement following Fosse's passing.
Ray Fosse's passing has deeply affected the Cleveland Indians family. He was a true fan favourite who loved wearing a Cleveland Indians jersey. He was proud to have been our top draft pick in 1965. "We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Fosse family, his teammates, Major League broadcast colleagues, and all those impacted by his almost 60-year career in the game he loved," stated Bob DiBiasio (senior vice president of public relations).
