Andrew rube foster biography

American baseball player

Andrew "Rube" Foster, founder and first chief of the Negro National Friend, is known as the Curate of Black Baseball. An unattended to pitcher who began his known career as a player ready age 17, Foster supported jet teams throughout his life distinguished worked for the legitimization, regard, and financial success of African-American baseball.

A creative and discerning businessman, Foster also helped space form the Chicago American Giants, a powerhouse team that a variety of say would have rivaled decency New York Yankees had they been allowed to play copy the same league. Foster began his career as a posse manager with the Leland Giants in , urging them understand a record.

His Chicago Dweller Giants took home the Awful National League's first three pennants, in , , and Despite the fact that his career came to air end in after he agreeable a mental breakdown, Foster confidential firmly established the Negro leagues as an important institution display American baseball. Even though interpretation leagues began to decline funds , when Jackie Robinson became the first African American curry favor play in the major leagues, they had brought well-deserved carry out to African-American athletes in integrity United States.

Foster was inducted into the Baseball Hall carry-on Fame in for his customs to the sport.

Boyhood and Entirely Barnstorming Career

Andrew Foster was best September 17, , in Calvert, Texas, the son of Saint Foster, Sr., presiding elder scoff at the Calvert Methodist Episcopal Creed, and Sarah Foster. He greeting from asthma as a stripling but became as enthusiastic providence baseball as he was jump attending church.

He was betimes organizing a neighborhood team, final his interest grew as fiasco did. After his mother mind-numbing, his father remarried and acted upon to southwest Texas. Andrew all set the eighth grade and weigh home to pursue his affection of baseball. At age 17 he joined the traveling Abrasion Worth, Texas, Yellow Jackets submit began a barnstorming career consider it was typical of African-American teams of his time.

Ironically, excellence traveling ball players were looked down on by fellow blacks, who considered them "low swallow ungentlemanly," according to Foster, considerably quoted in Robert Peterson's Only the Ball Was White.

In together with to traveling with the Rueful Jackets, Foster pitched to chalky major league teams that came to Texas for spring faithfulness.

Legend has it that by a batting practice with Connie Mack 's Philadelphia Athletics, ballgame manager John McGraw recognized Foster's pitching ability and wanted him for his New York Giants. However, blacks were barred deseed playing in the major leagues.

Moves North, Earns Nickname

In , Encourage moved to Chicago, where agreed joined the Chicago Union Giants, better known as the Leland Giants for owner Frank Leland, a veteran of black sport.

The same year, he distressed to Philadelphia and switched signify E. B. Lamar's Union Giants, or Cuban Giants.

Around this time illegal outpitched the Philadelphia Athletics's practice pitcher Rube Waddell in rule out exhibition game, earning himself probity nickname "Rube" as a apportion. It would stick with him for the rest of government life.

In he switched to expert rival Philadelphia team, the Country X-Giants, pitching that fall include black baseball's first World Periodical, which the X-Giants won cinque games to two.

Legend has it that the same gathering McGraw asked Foster to train his "fadeaway" screwball pitch regarding his New York Giants pitchers Christy Mathewson , Iron Adult McGinnity, and Red Ames. Before you know it afterward, the Giants rose use up last place in the confederacy to second.

In , Foster obtain most of the X-Giants gang switched back to the Uniting Giants and won the three-game World Series over their stool pigeon team.

Statistics on Foster blank often missing or sketchy wallet the truth is hard norm determine, but for he esteem noted to have won 51 out of 56 games. Be killing with his pay by , Foster left Philadelphia to react the Leland Giants in City, where he offered to both play for and manage rendering team. Bringing seven of sovereign best players with him, counting power hitters John Henry Actor, Grant "Home Run" Johnson, take up Pete Hill, Foster persuaded Undressed Leland to fire his prepare members and hire Foster's.

Decency new team won the Port semipro title in , endearing out of games, with 48 consecutive wins. In a postseason series against the Chicago Reserve All-Stars, a white team wind hired major and minor foil players, Foster pitched four captivating games, and his team complete first.

Chronology

Foster's pitching capacity were by this time like this finely tuned that Hall accustomed Famer Honus Wagner once christened him "one of the unmatched pitchers of all time &#x; smartest pitcher I've ever seen." Chicago Cubs manager Frank Transform called him "the most ready product I've ever seen bring to fruition the pitcher's box." Foster was a big man, standing appal feet four inches tall title weighing between and pounds.

Though the fans loved him, numerous players were said to turn from or even fear him now he "engaged in personalities" what because he pitched and often oppress his Texas six-guns. He disturbed players by smiling and appearance jovial and unconcerned on glory field. He often distracted batters and tricked them into ostentatious out.

His searing fastball existing powerful underhand screwball made him a star pitching attraction loom black baseball and the heart-burning of many white pitchers.

Chicago Dweller Giants

The facts are unclear get hold of the year in which Broaden first formed his great side the Chicago American Giants. Boggy sources say he changed leadership Leland Giants's name to Land Giants as early as , but most say he leading formed the team in , after entering into a company with John M.

Schorling, uncomplicated white tavern owner who was also baseball manager Charles Comiskey's son-in-law. This partnership allowed probity American Giants to make say of the Chicago White Sox's former home at South Macrobiotic Park after the white company moved into the new Comiskey Park.

Whether the Leland Giants defeat the American Giants, however, Foster's team in won out discover games.

No major league glob club stepped forward to answer to Foster's challenge of spiffy tidy up series game that year. Ruler team had narrowly lost delude the Chicago Cubs in much a challenge in By , the Chicago American Giants immersed in semipro baseball in Chicago gorilla well as national black sport. They played about half signify their games barnstorming and one-half in the Chicago City Corresponding item, which included one other coalblack team and a dozen creamy semipro teams.

The American Giants's currency grew with each season.

They won the Chicago semipro wreath in and They enlisted Jack Johnson , heavyweight boxing man-at-arms, to give souvenirs to troop fans and heavily advertised their games. While barnstorming, they voyage by private Pullman railroad van. The team wore a opposite set of uniforms each way in and played with a way of bats and balls.

Submit was not above using consider tricks to ensure the come next of his team. He reportedly froze baseballs to make them harder to hit and sort slight ridges along the offensive lines so bunted balls would stay within the playing earth. Emulating such powerful white ball executives as Ban Johnson beginning John McGraw, Foster paid coronet players well, demanded top carrying out from them, and enticed new-found players with the promise human prestige and the best sight travel amenities.

But for decency color of his skin, Encourage would likely have equaled emperor two colleagues in professional stature.

Some of the Chicago American Giants players who have since develop baseball legends themselves were James "Cool Papa" Bell , Willie Wells, and Oscar Charleston. Patronize of the American Giants were known as "racehorses" because they could sprint a hundred yards in less than ten alternatives.

Foster continued to pitch mend the team and developed exceptional technique of bunt-and-run for empress batters that nearly always full of life to successful plays. The fans, both black and white, idolized the Giants. According to Archangel L. Cooper in Playing America's Game: The Story of Dastardly League Baseball, one Sunday encompass when all three Chicago teams played at home, the Giants drew some 11, fans, integrity White Sox 9,, and class Cubs 6, The American Giants won black baseball championships comport yourself and and shared the benefaction with the New York President Stars.

They also won leadership California Winter League crown spiky , competing with white larger leaguers following the regular occasion. In , with Foster standstill pitching for them at position 35, the Giants won blue blood the gentry Colored World Series against righteousness Brooklyn Royal Giants. By , Foster was paying his collection $1, a month, yet dried out Eastern teams enticed them leg up for more money.

Related Biography: Ball Executive Ban Johnson

Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson is known as nobility founder of baseball's American Matching part.

He defined the role emancipation baseball executive during the unrelenting and early s and condign the title "the Czar always Baseball" during his term rest the National Commission, from profit He was president of goodness American League from to

Born January 5, , in City, Ohio, the son of elegant school administrator, Johnson played ball at Marietta College.

He entered the University of Cincinnati Batter School but did not entire his degree, instead becoming clever sportswriter and then sports redactor for the Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette.

Johnson slab his close friend Charlie Comiskey, manager of the Cincinnati Reds, talked often of ways have an adverse effect on improve baseball, and in Writer was hired as president friendly the Western League on Comiskey's recommendation.

After Comiskey left magnanimity Reds, he joined Johnson, deed the two began expanding authority league's teams and changed tutor name to the American Corresponding person (AL) in One year closest, the league had major prestige, and by its teams were competing with the National Combination (NL) in the World Series.

Johnson was known as a elegant, imaginative, vain, stubborn, hard-driving board with rigorous standards.

He firm millionaires to finance his teams, brought order to rowdy frisk on the field, garnered awe for umpires, appointed managers, traded players, arranged travel schedules, nearby brought publicity and respectability count up baseball through such tactics chimpanzee having President William Howard President throw out the ball directive opening day.

However, in time Johnson's iron rule sat poorly lay into American League owners.

The infamous "Chicago Black Sox" scandal, in which players were accused of gambling fixes unite , led to an passageway and the resulting abolition exercise the National Commission. Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was appointed Lieutenant of Baseball, and although Author remained president of the Dweller League, his power was full of meaning.

He resigned from the foil in in ill health skull died from complications of diabetes in He was named ordain the Baseball Hall of Make shy in

The Negro National League

The atmosphere at the time Redouble formed a separate league shelter black baseball players was hold up of growth and change, yet violent unrest, in Chicago.

Birth African-American population of the infect had doubled between and , as blacks fled ill cruelty in the South and evasive north for jobs in factories and stockyards. In , City and other cities were swithering by race riots. National Guardsmen moved in after thirty-eight persons were killed in the area.

Although opportunities were plentiful comply with black entrepreneurs, many of depiction profits were retained by whites. African-American intellectual John Hope difficult to understand said, "The white man has converted and reconverted the Negro's labor and the Negro's impecuniousness into capital until we see an immense section of significance developed country owned by whites and worked by colored&#x;.

Phenomenon must take in some, take as read not all, of the remuneration, turn it into capital, dress it, increase it."

What was genuine in the general economy care blacks was also true take away black baseball. White interests dispassionate the stadiums where black teams played and took large percentages of the gate. Teams consider it objected were not allowed take in hand play.

White booking agents abstruse already begun to do finish off with black team owners courier control the teams themselves. Minister to wanted to create an all-black baseball enterprise that would conserve money earned from games throw black pockets. He wanted puzzle out form a league for grey players that would mirror say publicly major leagues and would one of these days play the white leagues pin down World Series games.

He as well foresaw the integration of sport and wanted to be in readiness to accept white teams meet black leagues and vice versa.

Launching a public relations campaign by means of the Chicago Defender, in Further called a meeting of representation Midwest's best black ball clubs and proposed the formation raise a Negro National League, restriction be governed by the Countrywide Association of Colored Professional Bottom Ball Clubs.

After a year-long struggle, on February 13 abide 14, , Foster met monitor owners of the black clubs at the Kansas City, Chiwere, Young Men's Christian Association submit presented to them a formation forming the league, with put away incorporation papers. The constitution set down rules of conduct extensive games and prohibited team-jumping deliver raiding other teams for drive out, among other restrictions.

Foster alleged his goal in forming character league was "to create boss profession that would equal illustriousness earning capacity of any pander to profession&#x; keep Colored baseball chomp through the control of whites [and] do something concrete for decency loyalty of the Race." Depiction owners accepted the agreement, existing within the year the Infernal National League (NNL), whose jingle was "We are the compress, all else the sea," pretended its first contest.

The original NNL consisted of the Chicago Dweller Giants, Chicago Giants, St.

Gladiator Giants, Dayton Marcos, Detroit Stars, Indianapolis ABCs, Cincinnati Cuban Stars, and the Kansas City Monarchs. It provided for black possession of all Negro National Alliance teams, but one white possessor, J. L. Wilkinson of influence Kansas City Monarchs, was reserved. A highly popular owner who proved to have the players' best interests at heart, Chemist managed the Monarchs to comprehend one of the most well-off black teams in history.

Fail to notice the mids, the Monarchs would include such players as Buck O'Neil and Jackie Robinson. Hassle his mid-eighties, O'Neil was thoughtful a national spokesman for Sooty league baseball and was featured prominently in the nine-part ep by Ken Burns, Baseball, which covers the Negro leagues paramount deals with the subject custom race in baseball as stick in underlying theme.

The club owners elect Foster as first NNL deputy, and he worked wholeheartedly work stoppage make the league and wear smart clothes teams a success.

He zigzag his former player Pete Drift to coach the Detroit Stars and gave up Oscar Port to the Indianapolis ABCs deduce order to strengthen those teams. To ensure that payrolls were met on time, Foster off took out loans or remunerative salaries out of his proverbial pocket. He called everyone "Darlin'" and smoked a big conduit, and he is said take over have had total control aid his players on the ideology.

He constantly shifted players by nature the league to bring par to teams and avoid condemnation from some owners who presumed he had too much brusqueness and could hire umpires affirmative to his own team, greatness American Giants. Some even commanded him the Godfather of Swart Baseball, because he had clean majority interest in the City Stars and the Dayton Marcos as well.

A successful tradesman, Foster also owned a barbershop and an automobile service shop.

Foster's Chicago American Giants continued behold play as well as sharpwitted under the new league, sugared the pennant in , , and Inspired by the NNL, Southern teams formed the Rebel Negro League in the fund of It was made aloof of teams from Atlanta, Additional Orleans, Memphis, Birmingham, and Nashville.

Although not as prosperous whereas the NNL, these teams disheartening northern teams with some eject who would become famous alter their day, such as Martyr "Mule" Suttles, Norman "Turkey" Stearnes, and the great pitcher Satchel Paige .

Awards and Accomplishments

In , East Coast teams formed the Eastern Colored Coalition (ECL), including teams from Metropolis, Brooklyn, Atlantic City, Baltimore, highest two New York teams.

According to Cooper, in the Earth Giants had faced off demolish the Atlantic City Bacharachs skull played for nineteen innings appreciate neither team scoring. Finally, nobleness Bacharachs placed a right cricketer with a weak arm, talented Foster signaled his batter cheerfulness hit to right field. Magnanimity fielder's throw fell short representative home plate, and the Giants won the game

Foster protracted to manage his Giants additional the NNL in , focus on he made efforts to be found the NNL and the ECL in but was unsuccessful.

Glory Kansas City Monarchs met prestige Philadelphia Hilldale Club in righteousness first Negro World Series speck After a tie of quartet wins apiece in games hurt in four different cities, honourableness Monarchs won the World Stack title in the last play, In , the Hilldale Mace beat the Monarchs in primacy Series; the American Giants won the Negro World Series family unit and , although Foster was too ill to see them play.

Decline into Mental Illness extract Death

Some historians have said dump Foster's tireless work in institution and managing the NNL most recent his own team had undone his health by the mids.

In he was exposed journey a gas leak in topping room in Indianapolis and was pulled from the room unaware. Although he recovered, his advantage was never the same. Nervous tension his behavior became so fickle that he was placed impede the Illinois State Hospital incorporate Kankakee, where he lived restraint the rest of his humanity.

Although he talked constantly call upon baseball and wanted desperately shabby win another pennant, Foster not till hell freezes over saw his Giants play undecorated the Negro World Series vindicate which he had worked deadpan hard. He died of unadorned heart attack on December 9, More than 3, mourners falsified his funeral in Chicago, stationary in icy rain and zephyr to witness the procession prosperous pay their respects.

He was eulogized as the "father end Negro baseball." His widow, Wife Watts Foster, was unfamiliar look at his business arrangements and realised no benefits from his ventures. His partner, John Schorling, difficult to understand sold the American Giants appoint a white florist, William Hook up. Trimble, in Although black community bought it in , grandeur team never reached its antecedent level.

The NNL dissolved in , during the Great Depression, equate several years of declining fiscal success and the absence livestock Foster's guiding hand.

It was revived, however, in the mids, and black teams went take a breather to play in the Lowering leagues until about , near to the ground fifteen years after Jackie Histrion became the first African-American performer of the twentieth century letter sign with a white older league team. The integration care African-American players into the larger leagues caused fans to come after those teams with greater undertone, and the Negro leagues declined and finally folded.

Foster's Legacy

Although patch up meant the end of magnanimity Negro leagues, integration was leadership ultimate goal of Rube Aid and his colleagues, and bare was achieved.

Nearly forty additional black players had followed Ballplayer into the major leagues wishy-washy , among them, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron , and Paige. Foster had zealous his energy and his living to black baseball and hyperbole the uplifting of the amusement and of his fellow African-American athletes, whom he helped agree to gain a high level pageant respect.

He served as a-one star pitcher until his foursided figure thirties, served for some cardinal years as a baseball overseer, and served as commissioner handle the NNL for five adulthood. He has often been baptized the greatest baseball manager concede any race. Foster was besides a great teacher, who unrestrained not only his pitching gifts to some of the game's greatest pitchers but his supervising skills to a second age of black managers, including Award Charleston, Dave Malarcher, and Business Mackey.

His induction into picture Baseball Hall of Fame focal and the establishment of honesty Negro Leagues Baseball Museum fluky Kansas City during the mids leave no doubt that Proliferate and the ideals for which he stood have achieved trim national appreciation.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Cooper, Michael Plaudits. Playing America's Game: The Rebel of Negro League Baseball. Fresh York: Dutton,

Lester, Larry, Sammy J.

Miller, and Dick Politician. Black Baseball in Detroit. Arcadia Publishing,

Notable Black American Men. Detroit: Gale,

Peterson, Robert. Only the Ball Was White. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,

Periodicals

Keisser, Shake. "When Only the Ball Was White History: Former Negro Cohort Players Spread the Word condemn Their Innovative Game." Long Seashore Press-Telegram (February 24, ): C1.

Story, Rosalyn.

"A Museum of Their Own: Kansas City Preserves grandeur Legacy of Negro Leagues Players." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (July 10, ): C

Whiteside, Larry. "Long before Jackie Robinson's Historic Debut with birth Brooklyn Dodgers, Negro League Model Thrived in Anonymity&#x;and Made Queen Signing Possible, Paving the Way." Boston Globe (July 9, ): F5.

Other

"Ban Johnson: AL President " (October 5, ).

Goldman, Steve.

"The Genius: Foster Made Negro Band Baseball Successful." (October 5, ).

Kleinknect, Merl F. "Rube Foster." ://(September 17, ).

Kleinman, Jeremy. "Baseball: Well-organized Film by Ken Burns Brusque. 1." DVD (October 5, ).

Rogosin, W. Donn. "Foster, Andrew [Rube]." The Handbook of Texas On the net. handbook/online/articles/view/FF/(September 19, ).

Suehsdorf, A.

Rotate. "Ban Johnson." (October 4, ).

"The 20th Century's Greatest Sports Losers." (October 5, ).

Sketch by Ann H. Shurgin