Foulke Retires

[Brewers]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6478376

Saw this as I was browsing headlines at work....

[Dodgers]

And in otherwise ridiculous news, Scottie Pippen wants to play in the NBA this season, hopefully for a playoff contender.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2767861

[Royals]

Foulkie basically sacrificed his career in the 2004 Playoff Run. I hope Red Sox fans remember that and give him the respect he deserves for it in spite of the stuff that happened since then.

[Orioles]

Foulkie basically sacrificed his career in the 2004 Playoff Run. I hope Red Sox fans remember that and give him the respect he deserves for it in spite of the stuff that happened since then.

I met him bowling at King's one time, and basically said that to him. Told him he was the REAL world series MVP, and we appreciate the hard work battling through injuries. He was a pretty nice guy, despite how he appears when he opens his mouth to the media.

[Rockies]

Foulkie basically sacrificed his career in the 2004 Playoff Run. I hope Red Sox fans remember that and give him the respect he deserves for it in spite of the stuff that happened since then.

I met him bowling at King's one time, and basically said that to him. Told him he was the REAL world series MVP, and we appreciate the hard work battling through injuries. He was a pretty nice guy, despite how he appears when he opens his mouth to the media.

I would love to be able to tell him that. HE was the F'ing balls during the 04 run and he deserves to know that many more Sox fans know exactly what he left on the field.

[Giants]

Agreed. The situation reminds me of Robb Nen giving up his career pitching the Giants to the 2002 World Series. Keith Foulke's sacrifice and contribution to the Red Sox World Series win (they simply would not have won without him) is what causes me to scoff at old-timers who believe closers don't belong in the Hall of Fame.

[Padres]

Foulke will always be remembered by the majority of baseball fans as a Red Sox for the already acknowledged performance he accomplished in 2004 when the Red Sox staged the incredible comeback against the Yankees and up to his getting the final out in the World Series.

But he first came to prominence as a member of the Chicago White Sox. He came to the White Sox as part of the so-called "White Flag" trade with the Giants and he paid immediate dividends garnering 34 saves in 2000 and 42 saves in 2001.

Though Foulke had always performed well for then-Manger, Jerry Manuel, it was apparent that Manuel never cared much for Foulke. Foulke, even then, featured a mean change-up using his fastball as only a complementary pitch. His change was reportedly 10 to 12 m.p.h. slower than his fastball, and had that bit of drop at the very end that all fans would see in 2004. Think Trevor Hoffman ... But Manuel wanted a closer with "closer stuff," and when Foulke struggled in May, Manuel used that as an excuse to bury him.

At age 29 he buried him! From June to October, Foulke posted an ERA of 1.80 in 55 innings with a WHIP under 1.00 -- and saved only three more games. Manuel instead chose to finish the season with Antonio Osuna and Damaso Marte as his closers pretty much forcing GM Kenny Williams to find someone who fit Manuel's prototype for a closer.

This resulted in one of Williams worst trades ever when he traded Foulke, Mark Johnson, Joe Valentine and cash to Oakland for a washed up Billy Koch and a couple of no name minor leaguers. Manuel repeatedly trotted Koch out in the ninth despite the fact that he had nothing going for him -- all because he threw a whopping 2 m.p.h. harder then the guy he replaced, Keith Foulke. In 2003, Koch had 11 saves for the White Sox while Foulke had 43 for the A's. Mercifully it wasn't long after that Manuel found himself out of a job and the White Sox replaced him with Ozzie, thank goodness! Meanwhile Foulke would go onto his super year with the BoSox in 2004.

[Yankees]

Ok, I'm really confused now - Jake you can't be seriously saying that Foulke deserves to be in the Hall of Fame - I appreciate the fact that he threw out his career in 2004, agree he was great in his prime, and agree that relievers are generally disregarded unfairly in HOF talk, but I'm pretty sure Keith is not a HOFer by any stretch of the imagination.

[Royals]

I don't think that's his point, i think it's that a lot of folks feel that the role of the closer is too much of a part time role and isn't important enough. Foulke's 2004 season underscores that it IS a crucial role and should not be put down by HoF voters.

[Giants]

Ya Bren that's pretty much it. Foulke wasn't good enough for long enough to be considered a HOF candidate, but the importance if his contribution underscores the HOF credentials of guys like Goose Gossage, Mo Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, etc.