When Rube Foster was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981, his rightful place alongside baseball's greatest black heroes was at last firmly established. A world-class pitcher, a formidable manager, and a brilliant administrator, Rube Foster was arguably more influential in breaking down the color barrier in major league baseball than the venerable Jackie Robinson. Born in 1879, Rube Foster pitched for the legendary black baseball teams--the Cuban X-Giants and the Philadelphia Giants--before becoming player-manager of the equally renowned Leland Giants and the Chicago American Giants. Long a central figure in black baseball, he founded baseball's first black league--the Negro National League--in 1920. The Best Pitcher in Baseball is the story of a man of unparalleled vision and organizational acumen whose passion for justice changed the face of baseball forever.