1971 TOPPS ROOKIE ALL-STARS: ROY FOSTER

On the blog today, the next 1970 Topps Rookie All-Star who was going to have a special card created in 1971 before Topps scrapped the idea, leaving us with the following prototype, Cleveland Indians Outfielder Roy Foster:

Foster was the runner-up to Thurman Munson for the American League rookie of the year in 1970 for Cleveland.
He put in a nice season in 1970, posting a .268 average with 23 homers and 63 ribbies in his rookie year, seemingly ready to give the Indians a solid young outfielder for years to come.

Sadly for him however, he ended up having a disappointing year in 1971 which saw him bat .245 with 18 homers and 45 runs batted, leading Cleveland to ship him off to the Texas Ranger for 1972.

Oddly, in what seemed like a common thing in that era, it turns out that he would end up getting traded BACK to Cleveland right before the new season started, ending up playing what would turn out to be the final 73 games of his brief career, batting .224 with only four homers and 13 runs batted in, before spending the 1973 season in the Minors and the following couple of years in the Mexican League before retiring for good.

A quick career that began with promise before flaming out just like that, but NOT before getting some nice attention for that rookie campaign in 1970.

THE STRANGE CASE OF THIS 1972 ROY FOSTER CARD

Here’s another one of those cards that requires a closer look, a 1972 card showing former rookie stand-out Roy Foster as a Texas Ranger:

Foster, who was the runner-up to Thurman Munson for the American League rookie of the year in 1970 as an Indians player, never actually suited up with the Texas Rangers.
As a matter of fact, not only did he play with the Cleveland Indians in 1971, but he also played for them in 1972!
Turns out, after a disappointing year in Cleveland in 1971 which saw him bat .245 with 18 homers and 45 runs batted in after posting a .268 average with 23 homers and 63 ribbies in his rookie year, he was traded to the new Rangers organization in December of 1971 in a deal that included seven other players.
In what seems like a common thing in that era, it turns out that he would end up getting traded BACK to Cleveland right before the new season started, ending up playing what would turn out to be the final 73 games of his brief career, batting .224 with only four homers and 13 runs batted in, before spending the 1973 season in the Minors and the following couple of years in the Mexican League before retiring for good.