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Terry Jay Forster (born January 14, 1952) is a retired left-handed
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather d ...
who played for 16 seasons in the Major Leagues. He played for five teams in his career and recorded 127 saves during his time in the majors.


Early life

Forster grew up in
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
and attended Santana High School in Santee, California. A talented pitcher at the
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
level, he was made a second round draft pick by the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
in the 1970 MLB Amateur Draft.


Career

Forster rapidly ascended to the big league level, making the White Sox's opening day roster in 1971 after only 10 games at the single-A level in the minor leagues. He recorded a 3.99 ERA and hit .400 (2 for 5) as a 19-year-old. He became Chicago's top relief pitcher in 1972 and saved 29 games, which ranked second in the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
that season. After splitting time between the bullpen and the
starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...
in 1973, Forster returned primarily to the bullpen in 1974 and led the American League in saves with 24. He then missed most of 1975 with an arm injury, which allowed teammate
Rich Gossage Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5, 1951) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1972 and 1994. He pitched for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York ...
to become the league leader in saves that season. In 1976, new White Sox manager Paul Richards decided to put Forster in the starting rotation. The experiment backfired, as Forster responded with a 2-12 record. At the end of the season he was traded, along with Gossage, to the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...
in exchange for Richie Zisk and
Silvio Martínez Silvio Ramón Martínez Cabrera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Martínez pitched all or part of five seasons in the majors, from until , for the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. He was traded along with Richie Zisk from the ...
. Forster was subsequently reunited with Chuck Tanner, who had managed him while with the White Sox. In the 1977 season, Forster compiled a 4.43 ERA and hit .345 (10 for 29) with Pittsburgh. After the season, Forster became a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
, eventually signing with the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...
. He recorded a 1.93 ERA while saving 22 games for Los Angeles in 1978. He appeared in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...
for the Dodgers, as they lost to the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...
. After the Series, he had bone chips removed from his elbow and his next three seasons were shortened by injuries. He was healthy for the Dodgers' postseason run in 1981, which culminated in him winning a
World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
after the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in the 1981 World Series. Fully healthy in 1982, he pitched well coming out of the bullpen. On October 3, 1982, in the last regular season game started by Dodgers ace Fernando Valenzuela, Forster yielded a seventh-inning, three-run homer to the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
'
Joe Morgan Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, ...
which proved to be the winning margin in a 5-3 Giants win. The loss by the Dodgers propelled the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
to the 1982 National League West Division title. Forster became a free agent and signed with the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
for the 1983 season. He had an efficient three seasons, compiling an ERA of under 3.00 in each of those seasons. While with the Braves, he gained notice for his weight problem. The 6'3" Forster reportedly weighed 270 pounds while with Atlanta.
David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of '' Late Night with David Letterma ...
gave the left-hander national notoriety in 1985, when he referred to the lefty as a "fat tub of goo" on his '' Late Night'' show. Forster later appeared as a guest on Letterman's show following the comments; he ate a sandwich as he entered the set after Letterman introduced him. He also recorded a novelty song called "Fat Is In". The Braves released Forster shortly before the start of the 1986 season, but he was signed by the
California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
two weeks after his release. He finished the year with a 3.51 ERA in 41 appearances, but was not part of the Angels' roster for the
ALCS The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
. This was Forster's last season in the major leagues, although he did play minor league baseball in the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area ...
organization in 1987. Forster was also an excellent hitter, something usually not associated with relief pitchers. His .397 lifetime batting average (31 hits in 78 at bats) is the highest for any major leaguer in history with either 50 at bats or with at least 15 years of major league experience.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders The following is a list of annual leaders in saves in Major League Baseball (MLB), with separate lists for the American League and the National League. The list includes several professional leagues and associations that were never part of MLB. ...


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forster, Terry 1952 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada American League saves champions Appleton Foxes players Atlanta Braves players Baseball players from South Dakota California Angels players Chicago White Sox players Edmonton Trappers players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball pitchers Pittsburgh Pirates players Portland Beavers players