John B. Foster (baseball)

John Buckingham Foster (July 16, 1863 – September 29, 1941) was an American baseball writer, ballclub officer and sports editor.^[1]

Born in New York City, New York, Foster started his career as sportswriter for the New York World-Telegram.^[1] He then joined the New York Giants in 1913, where he worked as secretary of the National League club for the next seven years.^[2]

Afterwards, Foster joined the Spalding Company, where he worked as writer and editor of the Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide from the Spalding Athletic Library collection,^[3] which offered official Major League Baseball statistics and recaps, along with abbreviated narrative and standings for the minor leagues.^[3] The Spalding Company bought out the Reach Baseball Company in 1934, but the two guides continued to be published separately until 1939. Both companies eventually merged into the Spalding-Reach Guide for two more years, before being replaced by The Sporting News Baseball Guide after the 1941 publication.^[4]

Foster died in 1941 in NY City at the age of 78.