Foster, Rube (Andrew) (1878-1930)

US baseball player, manager, and executive. He was an outstanding pitcher, and, as manager of the Leland Giants, several of his strategies became standard in major league baseball. His creation of the Negro National League secured a solid basis for black baseball.

He was born in Calvert, Texas. Nicknamed ‘Rube’ for outpitching Rube Waddell, he rose through the ranks of the Leland Giants, from star player to club owner, and emerged as a dominant figure in black baseball. He was a friend and confidant of many major league managers. His tireless devotion to the sport earned him the title ‘the Father of Black baseball’ and he was admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.