Foley was born Milltown, County Kerry, to Charles Foley (a farmer) and Betsy Gearin.^[1] His family emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York City on June 27, 1863.

Foley played in 337 games; 204 in the outfield, 69 as a pitcher, and 54 at first base. He compiled six home runs, 128 RBIs, and a .286 batting average as a batter, and posted a 27–27 win–loss record, 127 strikeouts and a 3.54 ERA as a pitcher in 442 innings pitched.

On May 25, 1882, Foley became the first major league player to officially hit for the cycle.^[2] In a game against the Cleveland Blues, Foley hit a home run in the first inning, a triple in the second inning, a single in the third inning and a double in the fifth inning. ^[3][4]

On October 23, 1883, Foley became a naturalized citizen of the United States.^[5] Foley was working as a laborer, and listed as single when he died in 1898 at the age of 42 in Boston, Massachusetts.^[1] His cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver, and he is interred at Mount Cavalry Cemetery in Roslindale, Massachusetts.^[1]

• List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
• List of players from Ireland in Major League Baseball