New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-07
John B. Foster Named as
Secretary of the Giants
We'll Known Baseball Writer
Succeeds r. H. MCCutCheOn.
LLOYD ELECTED TREASURER
Harry Stevens Gets a Finger IN
the Pie with His Son on
Board Of Directors.

John e. Foster sporting editor Of Tho
Evening Telegram was elected secretary
of the New York Giants at special
meeting OF the directors. held at the head
quarters OF the club i'm the Fifth Avenue
Building yesterday afternoon. He Will
succeed r. H. McCutcheon, who accepted
the Office a few weeks ago at the earnest
solicitation of the late John 7. Brush
who asked him TO assume charge tenn
porarily after the resignation OF Joseph
ID. O'Brien.
\. Ashley Lloyd was elected treasurer
q position which Mr. McCutcheon also
held after the resignation of John II
Whalen last fall. while Frank NJ. stevens
a son of Harry Stevens. who holds the
concessions at the Polo Grounds. was
elected a director. Mr.. McCutcheon VIII
remain director of the club.
Mr. Foster. the new secretary. has long
been identified with baseball az 4 writer
For number of years lie has been OH
c,al scorer at the Polo Grounds and in
timately associated with the players ana
officials OF tine club Since the formation
of the Baseball Writers Association ne
has been the New York representative u
the organization. and also has Deeh Gu
Istor of Spalding's Official Baseball Gulde'
! Familiar as he is with all the ms ana
; outs of the game through years OF expert
/ ence and observation, Mr.. Foster is Wen
Euualified TO fulfil his duties as an oiiice'
of the club The death Of the late Johh
| IT. Brush took away from the cluo an
adviser thoroughly familiar with 'he
many details of the game, leaving
handful Of directors who knew niue OF
nothing about the business. 1t was 10
! take mucf of the responsibility OH IN
hands of Mr.. Brush that Joseph u
O'Brien was elected secretary more imam
year ago. and his resignation. coming
as IT did. shortly before Brushs DEATH
left the business end of the organization
without a guiding hand.
Upon the shoulders of Mr.. Foster VIII
! fall most of the management of affairs
exclusive of the team itself, over which
John ]. McGraw is in complete command
AS Harry n. Hampstead. the new presl-
dent. is unfamiliar with the complex laws
and politics of the game. the position OF
secretary will be responsible one.
Mr.. Foster is the fifth man to hold the
office in the last three years. FREE
Knowles was compelled 10 resign on ac-
count of his health at the end or the
season in 1910 and he was succeeded by
William f. Gray, who held the position
until after the worlds series in 1911.
little more than a year ago Joseph l..
O'Brien was imported from the West to
take Gray's place. Mr.. O'Brien resigned
shortly after the worlds series last fall,
no reason being given, and r. II. Nc
Cutcheon was elected to I'LL the office
temporarily.
Mr.. Foster declared yesterday that h.
: had no intimation of being considered for
the position until the latter part Of last
week He will resign his present positio"
on 1.-The Evening Telegram" and take up
his duties in the office of the club withir
the next few days.
With McGraw in the West on vaude
willie tour. there is much to be done IL
the way of making anal arrangements
for the Southern training trip of the club
and the sending out of contracts TO the
players. II is now hardly more than
month before the Giants will be winging
their way to Texas.
John B. Foster knows baseball as he
has been studying and writing about It
off and on. mostly on, since 1881. In 1885
he was state editor of THE Cleveland
Press" and two years later accepted the
same position with 1.-THE Cleveland
Leader" One day in June of 1889 the
sporting editor reported i'll and Foster re-
marked to the managing editor: "I'll go
out and do the baseball game to-day"
He wrote a semi-humorous story, which
so pleased that he was urged to continue
the work. and finally accepted the posi-
tion Of sporting editor. which he held
until 1895. when he came to New York.
On arriving in this city he wrote bicy-
cling for time. but eventually was ap-
pointed sporting editor of THE Evening
Telegram" a position he has held for
fifteen years.
In the war of 1890. when the players re-
belled and organized baseball was in
grave danger. Foster worked hard for the
National league, and as a reward, so to
speak, Nick Young, who was president of
the organization, formally announced: II
hereby appoint you an official scorer of
the National League for life"
This caused some amusement at the
time, but the appointment has never been
questioned, and Foster has been an Off
cial scorer since that day, at first In
Cleveland and later at the Polo Grounds
in this city.