Pete Hill

Center Fielder

Class of 2006

Pete Hill

Center Fielder

Class of 2006
Playing most of his career in the pre-Negro leagues era, Pete Hill emerged from the backwoods of Culpeper County, Va., to become one of the most feared line-drive hitters in the game.

Games

Birth year

About Pete Hill

Playing most of his career in the pre-Negro Leagues era, Pete Hill emerged from the backwoods of Culpeper County, Va., to become one of the most feared line-drive hitters in the game. His baseball years run roughly from 1889 to the mid-1920s and involve some of the pioneer programs of African-American baseball.

Hill was considered to be a premier center fielder with a rocket arm and excellent glove. His talents also extended to the batter’s box, where he was a consistent line-drive hitter with outstanding speed on the base paths.

The Basics

Year inducted
2006
Birth Place
Culpeper, Virginia
Birth Year
1882
Died
1951, Buffalo New York

Career at a Glance

Primary Team
Chicago American Giants
Primary Position
Center Fielder
Played For
Chicago American Giants, 1914-1918
Detroit Stars, 1919-1921
Toledo Tigers, 1923
Milwaukee Bears, 1923
Baltimore Black Sox, 1924-1925

Career MLB Stats

Games
446
At bats
2,111
Hits
626
Walks
285
Runs
404
Doubles
86
Triples
47
Home Runs
35
RBI
282
Stolen Bases
114
Batting Average
Ops
On Base %
Slugging %

Pete Hill Stories

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Negro Leagues Researchers and Authors Group

Rube Foster

Executive

Class of 1981

Rube Foster

Executive

Class of 1981
Rube Foster excelled on the diamond as a pitcher, manager and as an executive, earning him the recognition as the “father of black baseball.”

Primary Team Or Role

Birth year

About Rube Foster

Few men have dominant careers as baseball players. Even fewer have success as a manager.

But Rube Foster excelled on the diamond as a manager and as an executive, earning him the recognition as the “father of black baseball.”

Born on Sept. 17, 1879 in Calvert, Texas, Foster began his playing career pitching for the Fort Worth Yellow Jackets in 1897. By 1902, he was hurling for the Giants in Chicago, then jumped to the Otsego, Mich., semi-pro white team and before heading to the Philadelphia Cuban X Giants. That season he won 44 games in a row.

The Basics

Year inducted
1981
Birth Place
Calvert, Texas
Birth Year
1879
Died
1930, Kankakee Illinois

Career at a Glance

Primary Team
Chicago American Giants
Primary Position
Executive
Played For
Cuban X Giants, 1905
Chicago American Giants, 1914-1917

Rube Foster Stories

Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.

Foster’s strategy defined Negro Leagues

Master Entertainers

The Negro National League is Founded

#Shortstops: Rube Foster’s home team

Negro Leagues Researchers and Authors Group

Bill Foster

Pitcher

Class of 1996

Bill Foster

Pitcher

Class of 1996
A lefty pitcher for the Chicago American Giants, Bill Foster won 26 consecutive games during the 1926 season.

Games

Birth year

About Bill Foster

“Bill Foster was my star pitcher, not even barring Satchel Paige.” – manager Dave Malarcher

The younger half-brother of Negro Leagues legend and founder Andrew “Rube” Foster, Bill Foster was a tall left-handed pitcher who played from 1923-37. For much of that time, he was considered the best lefty in the Negro Leagues.

According to Hall of Fame umpire Jocko Conlan, “Foster had the same perfect delivery of Herb Pennock, but was faster by far, with a sharp curve, and had what all great pitchers have – control.”

The Basics

Year inducted
1996
Birth Place
Calvert, Texas
Birth Year
1904
Died
1978, Lorman Mississippi

Career at a Glance

Primary Team
Chicago American Giants
Primary Position
Pitcher
Played For
Memphis Red Sox, 1923-1924
Chicago American Giants, 1924-1930
Birmingham Black Barons, 1925
Homestead Grays, 1931
Kansas City Monarchs, 1931
Chicago American Giants, 1932-1935
Pittsburgh Crawfords, 1936
Chicago American Giants, 1937

Career MLB Stats

Games
238
Wins
110
Losses
56
Winning %
.663
Saves
12
Hits
1,281
Walks
477
Runs
574
Games Started
165
Innings Pitched
1,499
Completed Games
127
Shutouts
31
Earned Runs
438
Strikeouts
922
ERA
2.63
WHIP
1.172

Bill Foster Stories

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Bunning, Foster, Hanlon, Weaver elected as Class of 1996

Negro Leagues Researchers and Authors Group

Cristóbal Torriente

Center Fielder

Class of 2006

Cristóbal Torriente

Center Fielder

Class of 2006
Cristóbal Torriente was a powerful, five-tool center fielder.

Games

Birth year

About Cristóbal Torriente

Cristóbal Torriente was a powerful, stocky centerfielder who possessed all of the traditional five tools: Hitting for average and power, fielding, throwing, and running.

Born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, on Nov. 16, 1893, Torriente came stateside in 1913 to play for the Cuban Stars. He also played several seasons in the 1910s for J.L. Wilkinson’s “All-Nations” team.

He joined The Chicago American Giants in 1919, helping the team capture the first three Negro National League pennants in 1920-22. He won the league batting title in 1920 with a .411 average.

The Basics

Year inducted
2006
Birth Place
Cienfuegos, Cuba
Birth Year
1893
Died
1938, New York New York

Career at a Glance

Primary Team
Chicago American Giants
Primary Position
Center Fielder
Played For
Chicago American Giants, 1920-1925
Kansas City Monarchs, 1926
Detroit Stars, 1927-1928

Career MLB Stats

Games
646
At bats
2,235
Hits
759
Walks
323
Runs
471
Doubles
140
Triples
53
Home Runs
55
RBI
530
Stolen Bases
93
Batting Average
.340
Ops
.951
On Base %
.427
Slugging %
.523

Cristóbal Torriente Stories

Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.

#GoingDeep: Cristóbal Torriente Bests the Bambino

Esteban Bellán charted the way for Latino ballplayers

Negro Leagues Researchers and Authors Group