Hall of Fame Baseball Player. From his hometown of Calvert, Texas, William Hendrick Foster became one of the Negro Leagues most dominant pitchers. The left-hander compiled close to a .700 winning percentage during his fifteen year career. The half brother of Rube Foster (The founder of the Negro National League) he spent most of his career with the Chicago American Giants where he led them to pennants in 1926, 1927, 1932 and 1933. During the 1926 season he won the final two games of the season to clinch the league pennant before posting a 1.27 ERA in the Negro League World Series. The following year he set a league record with eighteen wins against only three loses. In 1929, after pitching a shutout against a team of American League All-Stars, where he struck out nine and held them hitless for eight innings, Detroit slugger Charlie Gehringer reportedly told Foster, "If I could paint you white I could get one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for you right now." He won six of seven games pitched against white major league players. During the off-season he continued his education and earned a degree from Alcorn State College. From 1960 to 1977 he coached baseball and was the Dean of Men at his alma mater. In 1996 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame Baseball Player. From his hometown of Calvert, Texas, William Hendrick Foster became one of the Negro Leagues most dominant pitchers. The left-hander compiled close to a .700 winning percentage during his fifteen year career. The half brother of Rube Foster (The founder of the Negro National League) he spent most of his career with the Chicago American Giants where he led them to pennants in 1926, 1927, 1932 and 1933. During the 1926 season he won the final two games of the season to clinch the league pennant before posting a 1.27 ERA in the Negro League World Series. The following year he set a league record with eighteen wins against only three loses. In 1929, after pitching a shutout against a team of American League All-Stars, where he struck out nine and held them hitless for eight innings, Detroit slugger Charlie Gehringer reportedly told Foster, "If I could paint you white I could get one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for you right now." He won six of seven games pitched against white major league players. During the off-season he continued his education and earned a degree from Alcorn State College. From 1960 to 1977 he coached baseball and was the Dean of Men at his alma mater. In 1996 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bio by: Bigwoo
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