Hank Foiles Biography

Henry Lee Foiles Jr. was an American professional baseball player born on June 10, 1929, and passed away on May 21, 2024. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1964, notably with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was selected for the 1957 All-Star Game. In 1946, he was named All-Southern in football and played in the inaugural Oyster Bowl at Foreman Field in Norfolk. He spent four years in the minor leagues before being selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1951 Rule 5 draft. In 1954, he hit a .332 batting average with 17 home runs and 59 runs batted in while playing for the Indianapolis Indians. His performance earned a promotion to the major leagues in 1955, where he posted a .261 batting average in 62 games as a backup catcher. In the ninth inning of the All-Star Game, Foiles pinch hit, reached base with a single off Billy Pierce, and scored a run during the National League's 6–5 loss.