Through my research for this class, I actually learned a very interesting story I never knew in all my years as a White Sox fan. Obviously I knew about the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, but I never knew Shoeless Joe Jackson’s story within the scandal until I was aimlessly researching for my 3rd paper of the class.
He originally wanted no part in the famous bribe to throw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The gamblers in charge had to ask him multiple times and offer him more money until he finally agreed. Seven other White Sox players were more wholeheartedly involved in the scandal as well. During the World Series, Joe Jackson played amazingly. He hit the Sox only homerun in the series, had multiple hits, runs batted in, and zero errors. It did not look like he was trying to throw the games at all. When he and the other seven players involved were tried for defrauding the public, he pleaded his innocence. Although they were all acquitted due to lack of evidence, the eight players were all banned from Major League Baseball for life.
Apparently Shoeless Joe tried to tell Charles Comiskey, the team’s owner, about the scandal. He even tried to give back the $5,000 he got from the gamblers. Until he died in 1951, he vowed that he played his best in that series and tried to win. Based on his career statistics in Major League Baseball, he should without a doubt be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but because he was banned for life, he is not eligible to be inducted in the Hall of Fame. This has caused much controversy in the baseball world. Many people believe that Joe Jackson is innocent and that he should be in the Hall of Fame. I plan on exploring the evidence in favor of Jackson’s innocence for my next paper. Because of how well he played in the 1919 World Series and his actions surrounding the scandal, I believe that he truly did not want to throw the games.
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