US Senate Resolution to honor Shoeless Joe Jackson

[RibbieRubarb]

http://demint.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAct...sRelease_id=299

 

God Bless America!!

 

DeMint, Harkin Go to Bat for Shoeless Joe

Sponsor Resolution Honoring the Chicago White Sox Legend and South Carolina Native

 

October 21st, 2005 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) sponsored a resolution expressing “the sense of the Senate that Joseph Jefferson ‘Shoeless Joe’ Jackson should be appropriately honored for his outstanding baseball accomplishments.”

 

“As Americans watch the start of the World Series this weekend, I hope they remember Shoeless Joe Jackson, one of the Chicago White Sox’s greatest players and one of baseball’s greatest legends,” said Senator DeMint. “The last time the White Sox won the World Series was in 1917 with Shoeless Joe playing in right field. He helped carry the Sox to victory over the New York Giants in six games, batting .304 for the series. I hope Major League Baseball will take this important moment in baseball history to remove the taint upon the memory of Shoeless Joe and appropriately honor his outstanding baseball accomplishments.”

 

“Baseball fans young and old all across the country know the story of Shoeless Joe and recognize him as a legend who gave his all to baseball. He was truly one of the greatest players of all time,” said Senator Harkin. “Shoeless Joe's record as a star player on the baseball field is unquestionable. His efforts helped make baseball America's favorite past-time. It is long past due that Shoeless Joe be recognized for giving his all to the game.”

 

After the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal, Jackson was suspended for life from the league by the commissioner of baseball. In 1919, a New York gambler allegedly bribed eight players of the Chicago White Sox, including Shoeless Joe, to throw the first and second game of the 1919 World Series. When the news came out the following year, the case was brought to criminal court. After the trial, Joe Jackson was acquitted. However, the new commissioner of baseball, Judge Kennesaw Landis, decided to ban all the players who were allegedly involved without even conducting an investigation.

 

“While I wholeheartedly believe in Shoeless Joe’s innocence, even those in doubt must admit he served his lifetime sentence with dignity and honor,” said Senator DeMint. “Throughout his life, he never tired of teaching children the game he loved. At a time when the game is suffering from steroid scandals, baseball should give due honor to a natural-athlete who broke records on the field and lived with humility off the field. It has been six years since Commissioner Selig told me he would investigate this matter, and I hope he will complete his inquiry soon and lift the ban on Shoeless Joe.”

 

Joe Jackson batted .408 in his rookie year, a feat which has never been equaled. He has the third highest batting average of all time, behind only Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. Over a 10-year period, he never hit below .300. His fielding skills in the outfield are also legendary. His glove was named “the place where triples go to die.” Babe Ruth once said of Shoeless Joe, “I copied Jackson’s style because I thought he was the greatest hitter I had ever seen, the greatest natural hitter I ever saw. He's the guy who made me a hitter.”

 

Shoeless Joe is a native of Greenville, S.C. where he began his career and earned his nickname while playing for the Greenville Spinners in 1908.

 

 

RESOLUTION

 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that Joseph Jefferson ``Shoeless Joe'' Jackson should be appropriately honored for his outstanding baseball accomplishments.

 

Whereas Joseph Jefferson “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, and a local legend, began his professional career and received his nickname while playing baseball for the Greenville Spinners in 1908;

 

Whereas “Shoeless Joe” Jackson moved to the Philadelphia Athletics for his major league debut in 1908, to the Cleveland Naps in 1910, and to the Chicago White Sox in 1915;

 

Whereas “Shoeless Joe” Jackson’s accomplishments throughout his 13-year career in professional baseball were outstanding—he was 1 of only 7 Major League Baseball players to ever top the coveted mark of a .400 batting average for a season, and he earned a lifetime batting average of .356, the third highest of all time;

 

Whereas “Shoeless Joe” Jackson’s career record makes him one of our Nation’s top baseball players of all time;

 

Whereas in 1919, the infamous “Black Sox” scandal erupted when an employee of a New York gambler allegedly bribed 8 players of the Chicago White Sox, including Joseph Jefferson “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, to lose the first and second games of the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds;

 

Whereas in September 1920, a criminal court acquitted “Shoeless Joe” Jackson of the charge that he conspired to lose the 1919 World Series;

 

Whereas despite the acquittal, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, baseball’s first commissioner, banned “Shoeless Joe” Jackson from playing Major League Baseball for life without conducting any investigation of Jackson’s alleged activities, issuing a summary punishment that fell far short of due process standards;

 

Whereas the evidence shows that Jackson did not deliberately misplay during the 1919 World Series in an attempt to make his team lose the World Series;

 

Whereas during the 1919 World Series, Jackson’s play was outstanding—his batting average was .375 (the highest of any player from either team), he set a World Series record with 12 hits, he committed no errors, and he hit the only home run of the series;

 

Whereas because of his lifetime ban from Major League Baseball, “Shoeless Joe” Jackson has been excluded from consideration for admission to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame;

 

Whereas “Shoeless Joe” Jackson died in 1951, after fully serving his lifetime ban from baseball, and 85 years have elapsed since the 1919 World Series scandal erupted;

 

Whereas Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig took an important first step toward restoring the reputation of “Shoeless Joe” Jackson by agreeing to investigate whether he was involved in a conspiracy to alter the outcome of the 1919 World Series and whether he should be eligible for inclusion in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame;

 

Whereas it has been 6 years since Commissioner Selig initiated his investigation of “Shoeless Joe”, but there has been no resolution;

 

Whereas the Chicago White Sox are the 2005 American League Champions, and will compete in the World Series for the first time since 1959;

 

Whereas “Shoeless Joe” Jackson helped lead the Chicago White Sox to their last World Series Championship in 1917; and

 

Whereas it is appropriate for Major League Baseball to remove the taint upon the memory of “Shoeless Joe” Jackson and honor his outstanding baseball accomplishments: Now, therefore, be it

 

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that Joseph Jefferson “Shoeless Joe” Jackson should be appropriately honored for his outstanding baseball accomplishments.

Edited October 21, 2005 by RibbieRubarb

[Kid Gleason]

 

But we also need the ban lifted from Buck. Buck probably won't get into the Hall, but he needs to be set free from the ban.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

opening day 2006.

 

retire shoeless Joe's jersey and have a World Series banner, we can dream.....

[Greg Hibbard]

I've heard that the .375 batting average in the series is kind of skewed, like he didn't hit for squat with men on base, and that his hits mostly came when the games were already well decided.

[Kid Gleason]

One of the coolest pictures ever:

 

[Kid Gleason]

opening day 2006.

 

retire shoeless Joe's jersey and have a World Series banner, we can dream.....

 

There were no numbers then, so what would they retire? Seriously asking.

[RibbieRubarb]

His shoes??

 

Not like he used them...

[Jimbo's Drinker]

There were no numbers then, so what would they retire? Seriously asking.

 

 

Good point, maybe just name.

 

no one can ever be called shoeless joe on the sox ever again..

 

[Kid Gleason]

Good point, maybe just name.

 

no one can ever be called shoeless joe on the sox ever again..

 

 

Haven't they created "honorary numbers" for people before?

[AnthraxFan93]

One of the coolest pictures ever:

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Gotta Agree with you there, that is an awesome shot.. Just think of what numbers Joe might have put up if he was not banned?

[Texsox]

One of the coolest pictures ever:

 

Why isn't it in color?

[black jack]

One of the coolest pictures ever:

 

 

 

 

Have you ever noticed how old the players looked back then?

He looks like he's 40 something.

[WISOX]

Have you ever noticed how old the players looked back then?

He looks like he's 40 something.

 

I think the B&W adds to that effect.

[Whitewashed in '05]

Shoeless Joe is a legend that should be recognized. I hope they do lift his ban.

[TLAK]

From Joe Jackson's signed and sworn Grand Jury testimony on September 28, 1920:

 

Q  Did anybody pay you any money to help throw that series in favor of Cincinnati?

 

A  They did

 

Q  How much did they pay?

 

A  They promised me $20,000 and paid me five.

 

Q  Who promised you the twenty thousant?

 

A  "Chick" Ganidl.

 

The original document is available at http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/f...shoelessjoe.pdf

 

I don't want to rehash the whole black sox scandel, but my opinion is the 8 men were certainly on the take, got off in court only because throwing a baseball game was not a crime and got their justice in the life time bans.

 

Movies and myths are quite entertaining but the first source documents are not refutable.

[Kid Gleason]

From Joe Jackson's signed and sworn Grand Jury testimony on September 28, 1920:

The original document is available at http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/f...shoelessjoe.pdf

 

I don't want to rehash the whole black sox scandel, but my opinion is the 8 men were certainly on the take, got off in court only because throwing a baseball game was not a crime and got their justice in the life time bans. 

 

Movies and myths are quite entertaining but the first source documents are not refutable.

 

7 men were on the take, Buck was not. Buck has been wrongly banned and needs to be reinstated. He never took money. His only crime was trying to get to the bottom of it from the inside and not being a rat and turning them in.

[MinnySoxFan]

From Joe Jackson's signed and sworn Grand Jury testimony on September 28, 1920:

The original document is available at http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/f...shoelessjoe.pdf

 

I don't want to rehash the whole black sox scandel, but my opinion is the 8 men were certainly on the take, got off in court only because throwing a baseball game was not a crime and got their justice in the life time bans. 

 

Movies and myths are quite entertaining but the first source documents are not refutable.

Did you actually read the whoel transcript?

 

Shoeless Joe is certainly not blameless and I'm not arguing whether or not he should have his non-number retired or not, but anyone who reads it will realize that he did nothing to throw the any part of any game and he basically took money because he was a dumb po-dunk.

 

Seems like he wasn't he sharpest tool in the shed.

 

Me hit ball. Play for White Sox.

[MinnySoxFan]

7 men were on the take, Buck was not. Buck has been wrongly banned and needs to be reinstated. He never took money. His only crime was trying to get to the bottom of it from the inside and not being a rat and turning them in.

If that transcript is for real he took $5,000, but he was supposed to get 20.

[Buehrle>Wood]

One of the coolest pictures ever:

 

Random Fact of the Day: Babe Ruth, en route to the greatest sports career ever, copied Shoeless Joe's swing.

[Kid Gleason]

If that transcript is for real he took $5,000, but he was supposed to get 20.

 

Jackson took the money, Buck had no part of it.

[GoodAsGould]

Random Fact of the Day: Babe Ruth, en route to the greatest sports career ever, copied Shoeless Joe's swing.

 

Why dont you read a little bit of the info on the 1st page of the thread?

[WilliamTell]

Very good news, but before Shoeless Joe and Co. can get their banned lifted, I wish think Pete Rose would have to come first since he is living.

[Balta1701]

Very good news, but before Shoeless Joe and Co. can get their banned lifted, I wish think Pete Rose would have to come first since he is living.

Personally, I don't want Pete Rose's ban lifted...but my usual response to people who say that Rose should be reinstated is to say that Shoeless Joe better come with him.

[qwerty]

His shoes??

 

Not like he used them...

 

People that think he didn't wear shoes ( not implying you) is almost as bad as the people that think the sox got the nickname ''black sox'' because of what happened in the 1919 world series.

[witesoxfan]

People that think he didn't wear shoes ( not implying you) is almost as bad as the people that think the sox got the nickname ''black sox'' because of what happened in the 1919 world series.

 

Ya, they are.

 

FWIW, which I'm sure is a well-known fact on Soxtalk, is that, IIRC, Shoeless got his name because he either caught flyball or he was running around the bases after he kicked off his shoes.

They got their name Black Sox from Comiskey being a cheap POS and not paying laundry, thus their socks(or "Sox") remaining dirty, never becoming "white", but remaining "black." Hench, Black Sox.