The late Oakland A’s TV analyst Ray Fosse seen here taking a stroll on the Oakland Coliseum field will be honored by being inducted into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame as announced Fri Nov 12, 2021 (Oroville Mercury-Register file photo)
Ray Fosse to be Inducted into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame Way Overdue
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury Pi-González
OAKLAND–I could have only wished the Oakland A’s would have inducted Ray Fosse into their Hall of Fame when he was alive. Today the Oakland A’s announced the popular catcher and broadcaster will be in the Hall of Fame.
The A’s Press Release today:
‘Two-time Major League All-Star catcher and Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Ray Fosse will be enshrined in Athletics history forever as a member of the Athletics Hall of Fame. Fosse joins four-time All-Star “Captain Sal” Bando, Gold Glovers Eric Chavez and Joe Rudi, Director of Player Development Keith Lieppman, and A’s Clubhouse Manager Steve Vucinich as members of the Class of 2022.’
Affable and always available to talk baseball Ray was one of those guys that I would always enjoyed picking his brain when it came to baseball knowledge. How to manage different pitchers during a game and all other aspects of the game we all love. A presence in the Press Box, I will always miss him. During the games at home we would talk about what happen in the previous game(s) or what to expect prior to the game at hand. I was privileged to have known him for years. He was strong of body and mind.
Ray Fosse was the catcher during the last two years of the A’s 1970’s dynasty, in 1973 and 1974. He caught some of the greatest luminaries in the history of the Oakland Athletics, guys like Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Vida Blue, Ken Holtzman, John “Blue Moon” Odom, and Rollie Fingers.
He always asked me about Latino players, their idiosyncrasies and superstitions, guys like Dagoberto Blanco (Campy) Campaneris, Manny Trillo, Gonzalo Márquez, who was a professional pinch hitter something that was seen as a key component of a team in the American League before the Designated Hitter rule was adopted in 1973.
Since I was a kid I was always fascinated by the work of a catcher. The only player that sees the whole field right in front of his eyes, and no wonder many catchers become managers. They’re basically acting managers, on the field. Ray Fosse was a real catcher. He played the position like it was intended to be played. Ray personified what a catcher is, strong, smart and in charge.
“A good catcher is the quarterback, the carburetor, the lead dog, the pulse taker, the traffic cop and sometimes a lot of unprintable things, but no team gets very far without one” -Miller Huggins.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
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