Rube Foster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rube Foster |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Pitcher / Manager / Owner | |||
| Born: September 17, 1879 La Grange, Texas, U.S. |
|||
| Died: December 9, 1930 (aged 51) Kankakee, Illinois, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| 1902, for the Chicago Union Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1917, for the Chicago American Giants | |||
| Negro leagues statistics | |||
| Managerial record | 336–195–11 | ||
| Winning % | .633 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
|||
| Induction | 1981 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
Andrew "Rube" Foster (born September 17, 1879 – died December 9, 1930) was an amazing American baseball player, manager, and leader in the Negro leagues. He helped create these leagues and was later honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
Many sports historians believe Foster was one of the best pitchers of the early 1900s. He is famous for starting and managing the Chicago American Giants, which became one of the most successful Black baseball teams before baseball was integrated. Most importantly, he founded the Negro National League in 1920. This was the first long-lasting professional league for African-American baseball players. Because of his huge impact, he is often called the "father of Black Baseball." Foster later made "Rube" his official middle name.
Contents
Discovering Baseball Talent
Foster was born in La Grange, Texas, on September 17, 1879. His father was a minister. Foster began his professional baseball journey with the Waco Yellow Jackets in 1897. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented pitcher among both Black and white fans. In 1902, he joined the Chicago Union Giants, a top Black baseball team.
After a brief struggle, he played for a mixed-race semi-professional team called Bardeen's Otsego Independents. Records show he pitched very well, with many strikeouts. Soon after, he joined the Cuban X-Giants of Philadelphia, one of the best Black baseball teams. In 1903, Foster became their star pitcher. He led the X-Giants to victory in the eastern Black championship, winning four games himself.
How Rube Got His Name
Foster earned his famous nickname "Rube" after beating a well-known white pitcher named Rube Waddell in an exhibition game. This exciting game happened sometime between 1902 and 1905. A newspaper article from 1904 already called him "Rube," showing how quickly the nickname stuck!
In 1904, Foster joined the Philadelphia Giants. There's a legend that John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants, even hired Foster to teach his young star pitcher, Christy Mathewson, a special pitch called the "fadeaway" (or screwball). While historians aren't sure if this story is true, it shows how respected Foster was. That year, Foster won 20 games, including two no-hitters, and helped his team win the Black championship again.
In 1905, Foster had an incredible season, leading the Giants to another championship. The Philadelphia Telegraph newspaper wrote that "Foster has never been equalled in a pitcher's box."
Leading the Leland Giants
In 1907, Foster's manager, Sol White, published a baseball guide, and Foster even wrote an article about "How to Pitch." That same year, Foster and other star players, like Pete Hill, moved to the Chicago Leland Giants. Foster became their playing manager, meaning he played and managed the team. Under his leadership, the Lelands had an amazing season, winning 110 games and only losing ten! They also won the Chicago City League pennant.
In 1909, Foster broke his leg but bravely returned to play in an exhibition series against the Chicago Cubs. Even though the Lelands lost that series, Foster continued to build a powerful team.
Building a Championship Team
By 1910, Foster took full control of the team. He brought in talented players like John Henry Lloyd, Pete Hill, Grant Johnson, and Bruce Petway. This strong team, with Foster himself pitching a 13–2 record, achieved an incredible 123 wins and only 6 losses!
Creating the Chicago American Giants
The next year, Foster partnered with a businessman named John M. Schorling. They arranged for Foster's team to use South Side Park, a stadium that the Chicago White Sox had just left. This new home became known as Schorling's Park, and the team was renamed the Chicago American Giants. For the next four years, the American Giants were the champions of western Black baseball.
Foster's Coaching Style
By 1915, Foster was pitching less and less. After 1917, he became a full-time manager, guiding his team from the dugout. As a manager and team owner, Foster was very strict and focused on discipline. He controlled every part of the game and expected his players to be professional and well-behaved.
Because Schorling Park was a very large stadium, Foster developed a special style of play. He focused on speed, bunting, hitting the ball to specific spots, strong pitching, and excellent defense. He was also a fantastic teacher. Many of his players, like Pete Hill and Dave Malarcher, later became successful managers themselves.
In 1919, Foster helped start a new team in Detroit, the Stars. He even sent some of his experienced players, including Pete Hill, to help the new team. This was all part of his plan to create a larger league for Black baseball teams.
Founding the Negro National League
In 1920, Foster, along with other team owners, met to create a professional baseball league for African-American teams. This was a huge step! Foster became the president of this new league, called the Negro National League (NNL). He also continued to own and manage his American Giants team.
Some people thought Foster favored his own team, especially with scheduling games and getting talented players. For example, he was able to get Jimmie Lyons, a star player from the Detroit Stars, to join the American Giants. He even brought his younger brother, Bill, to the team. However, Foster also helped other teams in the league when they struggled financially, sometimes even using his own money. He wanted the league to succeed for everyone.
His American Giants won the NNL's first three championships. Later, other teams like the Kansas City Monarchs became strong rivals. In 1923, some eastern teams formed their own league, the Eastern Colored League (ECL). Eventually, the two leagues agreed to work together and even played a World Series against each other!
Foster's Later Years and Legacy
After a few years, Foster made changes to his team, bringing in new players. In 1925, he faced a health scare but recovered. However, his health challenges continued, and in 1926, he became unwell and had to step down from managing. He was cared for in an institution in Kankakee, Illinois.
Even without Foster's direct leadership, the American Giants continued to thrive, winning the pennant and World Series in both 1926 and 1927. However, the league truly missed Foster's guidance. Rube Foster passed away in 1930. A year later, the Negro National League he had founded also came to an end.
Thousands of people attended his funeral in Bronzeville, Chicago. It was said that his coffin was closed "at the usual hour a ballgame ends," a touching tribute to his life in baseball. Foster is buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois.
Rube Foster's Lasting Legacy
In 1981, Rube Foster was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the first person from the Negro leagues to be chosen for his pioneering work and leadership.
The City of Chicago has honored Foster with a historical marker near where his Giants played. This marker helps people remember his important contributions to baseball and the city.
In 2010, the U.S. Postal Service released special postage stamps honoring Negro leagues Baseball. One of these stamps features Rube Foster, recognizing his key role in the league's history.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum also hosts an annual lecture series named after Andrew "Rube" Foster, celebrating his memory and impact.
In 2021, Rube Foster was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2022, the United States Mint released special commemorative coins for the Negro Leagues Centennial. Rube Foster was featured on the $5 gold coin, showing his lasting importance.
Managerial Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| CAG | 1920 | 72 | 49 | 21 | .700 | 1st in NNL | – | – | – | – |
| CAG | 1921 | 88 | 55 | 29 | .655 | 1st in NNL | – | – | – | – |
| CAG | 1922 | 77 | 45 | 31 | .592 | 1st in NNL | – | – | – | – |
| CAG | 1923 | 78 | 48 | 29 | .623 | 2nd in NNL | – | – | – | – |
| CAG | 1924 | 82 | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2nd in NNL | – | – | – | – |
| CAG | 1925 | 100 | 57 | 41 | .582 | 3rd in NNL | – | – | – | – |
| CAG | 1926 | 45 | 27 | 17 | .614 | Resigned | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 542 | 336 | 195 | .633 | - | - | - | |||
 | DeHart Hubbard |
 | Wilma Rudolph |
 | Jesse Owens |
 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
 | Major Taylor |
