Everyone knows the story of Jackie Robinson.
After playing in the Negro Leagues, Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first Black player to integrate Major League Baseball on April 15th, 1947.
Most sports fans have heard of the Negro Leagues and some of the more popular players including Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.
But the majority of people in the country aren’t familiar with individuals such as Andrew “Rube” Foster, William H. Foster or James “Biz” Mackey.
These men, all Baseball Hall of Famers, are important figures in both baseball and American history. Unfortunately, their stories and legacies are excluded from sports history and Black History Month discussions.
But thanks to Strat-O-Matic and the Negro League Baseball Museum, that will soon change.
The two have partnered to distribute NFTs featuring some of the greatest players in Negro League baseball history.
Now everyone can learn about the rich history, careers and accomplishments of Black players who dominated and elevated the sport at a time when they were excluded by Major League Baseball.
Andrew “Rube” Foster
Andrew “Rube” Foster is considered the Father of Black Baseball.
He was one of the greatest pitchers most have never heard of. In the early 1900s, he dominated for teams such as the Cuban X-Giants of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Giants and the Chicago Leland Giants, which he also managed.
But “Rube” was more than a player. He was a visionary who recognized the need for African Americans to own and control their futures, so he took it upon himself to show them the way.
“At his core, he was all about improving the lives of African Americans through baseball,” Doug Foster Jr., the great-nephew of Andrew Foster, told me in our exclusive interview. “At the end of the day, he was all about the Black baseball player.”
And so Foster used baseball to build Black independence and wealth.
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