Top Five Players Who Should Be In the
Hall of Fame
#4. “Shoeless” Joe
Jackson
Any student of baseball history
should know who “Shoeless” Joe Jackson is but for those who don’t, here’s the
quick version of it. He is one of eight players for the Chicago White Sox who allegedly
took money from gamblers to purposely lose the World Series against the
Cincinnati Reds in 1919. While the Sox were heavy favourites, they lost the
best-of-nine series in eight games and suspicious play by various members of
the team brought forth an investigation.
While the eight players were
found “not guilty” in a court of law, MLB commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis
ruled that any player who associated with gambling would be banned for life
from baseball. This was the beginning of what may be considered the
“unpardonable sin” of baseball. Over the years, players have been given second
chances after drug-abuse, domestic situations and other indiscretions, but for
some reason, those associated with gambling are not given another chance.
Back to Jackson, while most
would know the story of the “Black Sox Scandal”, what some may not know is just
how remarkable a player he was. But his story begins before his baseball
career. Jackson had neither the ability to read nor write and the reason for
that was because starting at the age of six, he worked 12 hours a day in the
textile mills of Greenville, South Carolina, due to family finances.
The story of his nickname comes
from receiving a new pair of baseball cleats that were too tight and blistered
his feet. In order to alleviate the pain, he removed the shoes, prompting a
heckler in the crowd to call him a “shoeless son of a gun.”
Okay, enough of the legend,
let’s look at the stats. He played a total of ten games for the Philadelphia
Athletics in 1909 and 1910 before being traded to the Cleveland Indians. In his
four complete seasons with the Tribe, Jackson had the best years of his career,
garnering MVP votes all four years, finishing second in 1913.
He led the American League in
hits in 1912 (226) and 1913 (197). His batting averages for those years was
.408, 395, .373 and .338. His .408 batting average in 1912, along with the 233
base hits he tallied were not enough to lead the league. Detroit’s Ty Cobb had
more hits (248) and a .420 average. However, Jackson’s stellar play was enough
to get him noticed by Chicago White Sox owner, Charles Comiskey, who traded for
the outfielder during the 1915 season.
In his first full season with
the Sox (1916) Jackson would have a .341 batting average and lead the AL with
21 triples. The following year, he would help lead Chicago to a World Series
championship. The White Sox defeated the New York Giants four games to two and
Jackson batted .304 with two RBIs and four runs scored.
Jackson would miss most of the
1918 season while working in a shipyard because of World War I, but he returned
to the Sox without missing a beat the following year. His .351 average would
help lead the team to the AL Pennant and the fateful World Series. Due to
Comiskey’s penny-pinching ways, the eight members of the Sox felt cheated
because they weren’t making enough money and agreed to lose the World Series in
exchange for somewhere between five and ten thousand dollars. Considering they
were only paid about six thousand for their six months of work during the
season, it’s easy to see why the offer was enticing.
Despite the accusations, Jackson
set a World Series record with 12 hits, a mark that stood until the 1964
Series. He also hit the only home runs of the Series and finished with a .375
batting average.
The scandal didn’t break until
the 1920 season was nearing the end. Despite having a chance to go to the World
Series for a second consecutive year, Comiskey suspended his players until the
investigation was complete. Jackson was having another magnificent season,
batting .382 while leading the league with 20 triples.
There have been many stories
over the years that Jackson was never involved in the discussions about losing
the World Series. He was never seen at any of the meetings and it has often
been debated that his name was just thrown around in the meetings to persuade
the rest of the players to join in. However, Major League Baseball has not seen
fit to exonerate Jackson from any guilt and even now, sixty-five years after
his death, and 97 years since the 1919 World Series, he is still not eligible
for the Hall of Fame.
His numbers indicate he should
be there. His .356 career batting average ranks higher than any player in
history except for Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby.
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