1984 Profile: Tim Foli

"He has led both leagues in fielding as a shortstop. He is one of 32 players to have played for the Mets and the Yanks. He is annually one of the toughest men in baseball to strike out.
Wherever he has gone, he was told, 'You're not strong enough to play every day.'
Makes you wonder why, because Timothy John Foli was a key member of the 1979 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates and division winning 1982 California Angels, playing respectively 133 and 150 games.
Foli was always a quick-tempered player, but age and winning have made him a bit more mellow. That maturity, however, has not taken away his competitive spirit. He likes to do anything he can to win, and he is considered to be one of the best hit-and-run men and best bunters in either league.
Barring injury, Foli does not figure to crack the starting infield this year, but the words 'Barring injury' never seem to be too far away. Foli can play second, short and third. He is the prototype of the role player who can do almost anything on the field, and who gives the manager the luxury of making strategic late-inning moves without sacrificing defense or offense.
Before 1984 is finished, some opposing manager is certain to say, 'Those Yankees have a bunch of millionaires and a ton of guys who can hit the ball out of the Grand Canyon, but we get beat by Tim Foli.'
They've just got to say that- because Tim Foli has done just that before, and he'll do it again."

-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook

"Foli jumped off to a fast start in 1983 with a 10 game hitting streak from April 15-27, ending April with a .311 average. He continued to show excellent bat control, fanning only 18 times in 330 at-bats- once every 18.3 times at bat. Despite his limited number of at-bats Foli finished tied for fifth in the league in sacrifice hits (11). He has always been a fine defensive player and 1983 was no exception, finishing third in the AL in fielding percentage for shortstops with a .975 mark.
Tim is the consummate team player who can play third, short or second, while primarily a shortstop. He led National League shortstops with a .981 fielding percentage in 1980 and American League shortstops with a .985 mark in 1982. He's an addition to the list of players to appear with both New York teams.
In 1979 Foli established career highs in batting average, RBIs, runs and hits while driving the Pirates to the NL pennant. He capped the Pirates' championship season by batting .333 in both the league playoffs and the World Series. In 1980, Tim had an 18 game hitting streak and played 48 consecutive games without committing an error (July 30 through September 28).
He hit for the cycle for April 21, 1976 in Chicago, collecting a single, double and triple before the game was suspended by darkness; he homered in the eighth inning the following afternoon in completion of the game. A perennial member of the '10-Toughest-to-Fan' club, Tim owns 162 career sacrifice hits.
Tim captained the baseball, basketball and football teams at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California and earned All-League, All-State, All-California Interscholastic Federation and MVP honors. He was the Mets' top selection in the June 1968 Free Agent Draft and signed with New York after turning down scholarships at Notre Dame and USC. His older brother, Ernie, was an infielder-outfielder in the California, St. Louis, Houston and Kansas City organizations. Tim's hobbies include singing, golf, hunting and fishing."

-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide