A Pirates Journey

The Life Story of Major League Catcher Hank Foiles with Douglas Williams

Years ago Virginia native Hank Foiles was one of the notables among catchers in Major League Baseball. Prior to that, he was an exceptional high school athlete who excelled in football, track and baseball for Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia. In his newly released autobiography, A Pirate's Journey, (Infinity Publishing, Oct. 2011) Foiles traces his steps from his boyhood days, to stardom in scholastic sports and on to the big leagues, where he played for 11 seasons. He shares stories about his time with the Cincinnati Reds, the Cleveland Indians and the Baltimore Orioles. However, looking back on his career, he lists his fondest baseball memories as those from his years as a catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he hit the top of his game and was named to the National League All-Star team.

Hank recalls in detail, the hazards of catching the greatest knuckleballer of them all, hall of famer, Hoyt Wilhelm as well as his early days in pro baseball when he worked to instill confidence in the Indians' young fire-balling southpaw, Herb Score. "Baseball was a lot different during my career," he explains. "The business dealings, as well as the game itself, were nothing like they are today."

In his life story, Foiles gives us a personal inside look at what baseball was like and what it meant to be a major leaguer back during a time when the game was truly our national pastime.