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In 1919, severe riots broke out in a number of American
cities. Andrew "Rube" Foster, a highly successful black businessman,
coincidentally began forming the Negro National Baseball League in Chicago, the
year of the riots. The purpose was to provide the north's new black citizens
with professional baseball of their own.
It was Foster's objective,
he said, "to create a profession that would equal
the earning capacity of other professions, and keep colored baseball from the
control of whites," and "do something concrete for the loyalty of the
race."
Known as the best black pitcher of his time,
Foster earned the
nickname "Rube"
by outpitching white star Rube Wadell in a 1902 exhibition game. Now he was
becoming known as black baseball's first great impresario. Eight teams were
formed to make up Foster's league -- the
Kansas City Monarchs
, Indianapolis ABC's, Dayton Marcos, Chicago Giants,
Chicago
American Giants, Detroit Stars, St. Louis Giants, and
the Cuban Giants
who were without a hometown. 1920 marked
the initial season of THE NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUES.
Authentic
NLB Jerseys
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By 1923, Foster's Negro National League was a smashing
success.
4000,000 fans
turned out that season to see the teams of the new league play. White businessmen
observed the success, and big profits that could be made from black baseball,
and formed a rival league, the Eastern Colored League. The rival league included
the Philadelphia Hilldales, Cuban Stars, Brooklyn Royal Giants, Atlantic City
Bacharach Giants, Baltimore
Black Sox, and New York Lincoln
Giants.
| Career
& Personal Bio |
1916 Playoff: Chic. Amer. Giants
vs. Indianapolis ABC's |
CAREER
» Positions: P, 1B, OF, MANAGER,
EXECUTIVE,
OWNER,
FOUNDER,
OFFICER (NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE).
» Teams:
CHICAGO UNION GIANTS (1902)
CUBAN X-GIANTS ('03)
PHILADELPHIA GIANTS ('04-'06)
LELAND GIANTS ('07-'10)
CHICAGO AMERICAN GIANTS ('11-'26)
PERSONAL
» BATS: right
»THROWS: right
» HEIGHT: 6' 2"
» WEIGHT: 200
» BORN:Sept.17, 1879, Calvert,
TX
» DIED: Dec. 9, 1930, Kankakee, IL
» Bill
Foster - the younger half-brother of the Father of Negro Baseball, Rube Foster
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Rube Foster
click image above to hear more
The first Negro World Series, played between the two leagues,
was in 1924 between
the Kansas City Monarchs of the National League, and the Philadelphia Hilldales
representing the Eastern League. The Monarchs won the series in ten games. The
star pitcher of the Series was a black Cuban named Jose Melendez, whom the Major
League's John McGraw had said he would gladly pay $50,000 for Melendez's services,
if only he were white. And so it all began...
As many of Foster's stars were lured away by the Eastern League
for better
pay, Foster held on but the strain became too much for him. In 1926, Foster was
institutionalized fragile and delusional in believing he was going to throw out
the first pitch of the white World Series. He died four years later, as more
than 3,000 mourners withstood icy rain and wind to witness the funeral procession.
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Andrew (Rube) Foster was a
great pitcher in his prime,
but he is not generally remembered for his
arm. Rube is the man that organized the first black baseball league, the Negro
National League.
Due to his great management, the league stayed together for many years.
His first year in baseball was spent as a pitcher in the Chicago Union Giants
franchise. He finished
the year with 51 victories including a win against the great pitcher, Rube Waddell
(that's where
Foster got his nickname). He continued his awesome pitching into the next year
compiling a 54-1
record with the Cuban X-Giants. He joined the Philadelphia Giants squad the next
year, winning 2
games in the playoffs against his former teammates. He began his managerial career
with the
Leland Giants in 1907 when Frank Leland hired Foster to play and manage with the
team.
In 1910, following his brilliant playing career, he organized one of the best
black teams in history,
the Chicago American Giants. Players such as John Henry Lloyd, Pete Hill, and
Home Run
Johnson were on this team. Sometimes, even Foster himself played on the team as
a pitcher. The
American Giants absolutely demolished all other competition, winning an estimated
11
championships.
In 1920, Foster established the first formal Negro League, called the Negro National
League. The
league flourished for ten great years until his sudden death in 1930. Rube Foster
was finally
recognized for his priceless achievements when he was voted into the Baseball
Hall of Fame in
1981..
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