Joe Jackson Frequently Asked Questions
Background on the Virtual Hall of Fame
I have been researching Joe Jackson for over twenty seven years (as of this writing, Summer, 2010). Prior to starting my research in 1983 like many folks, I believed Joe Jackson was as guilty as sin. In early 1983, I got interested in the story of Joe Jackson again and decided it might not be fair to the man or his memory to "assume" him guilty without doing the research for myself. It did not take me long to come to the conclusion that Joe Jackson was more sinned on than he sinned. At that point, there wasn't a whole lot I could do with my findings, so I basically sat on them until the early 1990's, when PC's gained wide household use. I decided I would write a screen saver which featured images and stories about Joe Jackson, to hopefully educate the public as to the injustice I believed to have been done to Joe. I gave that software away, hoping in some way to be of help to the cause of getting Joe Jackson's name place on a ballot at the Hall of Fame and voted on by the Veteran's Committee. But after writing the software and giving it away to anyone that wanted it, I still felt like there was something missing, something else I could be doing to help educate folks. In early 1993, I began to play with the HTML language, as the new world wide web was taking off. In early 1994 the idea to put up a web site devoted to Joe Jackson came to me like the voice from the movie "Field of Dreams" which told Ray to "Build it and they will come". So in early 1995, we put up the first Shoeless Joe Jackson home page (boy, I just dated myself by saying "home page"). In 1996, we redesigned the web site, added content and acquired the domain name "blackbetsy.com". That version of the site ran from 1996 until the summer of 2010, when we again redesigned the site. Our hope is that you enjoy what you find within this site, or at the very least, you will get interested enough in the subject matter to go do the research yourself. On behalf of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society, I sincerely thank you for visiting us, you are welcomed at any time and please do let us know if we can assist you in any way with Joe Jackson related questions.
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Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Joe Jackson
How did Joe get the nickname "Shoeless"??
Back in 1908 Joe was playing for a team in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina and he had bought a new pair of spikes. He had worn the spikes one day and the next day his team was playing the Anderson, South Carolina
team. The new pair of spikes had rubbed blisters on Joe's feet, so he wanted to sit this game out, however his team was short some players and Joe had to play. Joe tried to play in the new spikes but they hurt his
feet real bad. During one inning Joe took the spikes off and played in just his socks, he came up to bat and hit a triple and as he was pulling up at third an Anderson fan hollered "You shoeless son of a gun you!" It was the
only day Joe played in his stockinged feet, but the name stuck forever. Joe did not like this handle he carried all his life, but that is how the world knew him......"Shoeless" Joe Jackson.
Speaking of shoes.....what size shoe did Joe wear??
Joe wore a size 10 1/2 shoe.
Where are all the Joe Jackson points of interests in Greenville and their corresponding map locations??
See the map below for all the main Joe Jackson points of interest. You can click on the blue pins below for more information about that point of interest.
Why did we chose blackbetsy.com??
We chose the name blackbetsy.com as our domain name because we are authorized by the Estate of Joe Jackson to sell a remake of his famous black baseball bat "Black Betsy"
and we thought the name appropriate.
How do I join the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society??
There are two ways to join the Society; 1. You can go the the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society On-Line Registration form to register your membership or
2. You may send us your name and address via the U.S. Postal Service and we will enter you into our database. See the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society letter.
When did Joe Jackson die and what was the cause of death??
Joe died on December 5th 1951 at home in Greenville, South Carolina. His death certificate dated December 9, 1951 lists the cause of death as "coronary thrombosis" caused by "arteriosclerosis" and "cirrhosis of the liver."
Where is Joe Jackson buried??
Joe is buried in Woodlawn Memorial Park which is located on Wade Hampton Blvd. in Greenville SC. His grave is in Section V plot 333. Refer to the images listed below to help understand our instructions on how to find Joe's grave once you're there. Turn into the main entrance to Woodlawn off Wade Hampton Blvd. Proceed towards the large monument (follow the red line on the General purpose map below ). It is best to park about a quarter of the way into the circle around the monument. Proceed to the right and Joe's grave is about 64 steps from the edge of the road where you park. We have denoted the appx. location with a red circle on our map. This will get you in the general location of Joe's grave and it's usually easy to spot because of all the baseball's left on his grave by fans. There is usually a baseball bat as well. If you have difficulty with these instructions, we suggest you go to the offices of the Woodlawn Memorial Park and they can direct you to his site. The office used to give out literature on Joe to visitors, but they may no longer be doing this, but it can't hurt to ask.
Joe Jackson obituary column from 1951 Article courtesy of the Jack Connell Collection.
Joe Jackson obituary column from 1951 Article courtesy of the Jack Connell Collection.
What is the relationship between the Virtual Hall of Fame and The Shoeless Joe Jackson Society??
The Shoeless Joe Jackson Virtual Hall of Fame is the Official web site of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society.
We have the latest information about Joe and the movement to persuade the National Baseball Hall of Fame to place Jackson on a ballot and to have the Veteran's Committee vote him into the Hall of Fame.
What were the salaries for the players in 1919 and 1920??
Listed below are the salaries for some of the eight men associated with the Black Sox Scandal. It should be noted that the highest paid player on the team, Eddie Collins earned a salary of $15,000.00 during this time......well above any other player on the White Sox team.
| Player | 1919 Salary | 1920 Salary | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buck Weaver | $6,000.00 | $7,250.00 (2 yrs.+) | 21% |
| Joe Jackson | $6,000.00 | $8,000.00 (3 yrs.) | 33% |
| Eddie Cicotte | $5,000.00 | $10,000.00 | 100% |
| Lefty Williams | $3,000.00 | $6,000.00+ | 100% |
| Happy Felsch | $3,750.00 | $7,000.00 | 87% |
| Swede Risberg | $2,500.00 | $3,200.00 | 30% |
| Fred McMullin | $2,750.00 | $3,600.00 | 31% |
What are good books to read about Joe Jackson??
See Books About Joe Jackson.
We recommend "Say it ain't so, Joe" by Donald Gropman and "Growing Up With 'Shoeless Joe'" by Joe Thompson as sources of information about Joe. We recommend "Eight Men Out" by Eliot Asinof as a source for information about the 1919 World Series. The best overall book on the scandal to date is "Burying the Black Sox" by Gene Carney. Carney did his research into the subject and this book is the result of that research. The book gives us a background on the fix and subsequent attempt by White Sox owner Charles Comiskey to sweep the fix under the carpet.
We recommend "Say it ain't so, Joe" by Donald Gropman and "Growing Up With 'Shoeless Joe'" by Joe Thompson as sources of information about Joe. We recommend "Eight Men Out" by Eliot Asinof as a source for information about the 1919 World Series. The best overall book on the scandal to date is "Burying the Black Sox" by Gene Carney. Carney did his research into the subject and this book is the result of that research. The book gives us a background on the fix and subsequent attempt by White Sox owner Charles Comiskey to sweep the fix under the carpet.
What was Joe's uniform number??
Numbers were not worn on the uniforms during Joe's major league days. Numbers began to appear on major league uniforms in the late 1920's and early 1930's. While playing in Greenville in the early 1930's, Joe did wear the number "5" and we have seen
one photo of Joe while he was with the Woodside team in 1937 wearing number "12".
What was the wording of Judge Landis' ruling against the eight men??
Judge Landis' official wording was as follows......it never mentions that Joe would be banned for life....it says he will never play professional baseball....which he never did.....he served his sentence without incident, he never protested or held any ill will against baseball or Judge Landis.
" Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player that throws a ball game; no player that undertakes or promises to throw a ball game; no player that sits in a conference with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers where the ways and means of throwing games are planned and discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball." " Of course, I don't know that any of these men will apply for reinstatement, but if they do, the above are at least a few of the rules that will be enforced. Just keep in mind, regardless of the verdict of juries, baseball is entirely competent to protect itself against crooks, both inside and outside the game."
When was Joe Jackson's last game in the Majors, who did he face his last at bat, etc., etc...??
Joe Jackson's last game in the Majors came on September 27, 1920 against the Detroit Tigers. The White Sox won the game 2 - 0 with Joe Jackson driving in the winning run. Joe's last at bat occurred
in the 6th inning of the game.....he faced Hooks Dauss in his last at bat and got a single, which scored Buck Weaver from third. Joe went 1 for 3 for the day. See our Joe's Last Box Score for more information.
Where did the name Black Sox come from??
Contrary to popular belief, the name Black Sox was not given to the 1919 White Sox because of the 1919 World Series scandal. The name was given to them because they played in dirty uniforms because their owner Charles Comiskey used to charge the players .25 cents for cleaning their uniforms. The players refused to pay to have their uniforms cleaned and chose instead to play in dirty uniforms, hence the name Black Sox.
What are the dates of birth and death for Joe's mother and father??
| Born | Died | Place of interment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Elmore Jackson | May 30, 1856 | Feb 11, 1914 | Graceland Cemetery, West Greenville, SC |
| Martha Ann J. Jackson | Feb 14, 1864 | Aug 25, 1932 | Graceland Cemetery, West Greenville, SC |
What are the dates of birth and death for Joe's brothers and sisters??
| Sibling | Born | Died | Place of interment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lula Mae Jackson Ellis | November 3, 1889 | December 1, 1978 | Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, GA |
| David Jackson | December 13, 1892 | August 4, 1969 | Graceland Cemetery, West Greenville, SC |
| Lee Earl Jackson * | April 13, 1895 | February 8, 1965 | Graceland Cemetery, West Greenville, SC |
| Earnest Jackson * | April 13, 1895 | March 6, 1959 | Woodlawn Memorial Park |
| Jerry Jackson | July 17, 1898 | December 9, 1966 | Graceland Cemetery, West Greenville, SC |
| Luther Jackson - No Marker | September 6, 1901 | April 29, 1969 | Graceland Cemetery, West Greenville, SC |
| Gertrude Jackson Trammell | May 8, 1905 | January 28, 2000 | Woodlawn Memorial Park |
| * Lee and Ernest were twins | |||
Where is Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park Located??
The Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park is approximately 2 1/2 miles from downtown
Greenville, SC. Take Academy Street out of downtown and continue over Pendleton Street where
Academy St. becomes Easley Bridge Road. Continue straight until you see Judson Baptist
Church. Look for West Avenue, directly across from the church. Take West Avenue and it will lead
you to the ballpark. For more information see Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Ball Park
When did Joe's wife Katie die??
Katie Wynn Jackson died on April 18th 1959, cause of death listed on her death certificate was lung and breast cancer. She is buried along side her husband at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
What is the address for the Commissioner of Baseball??
Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
245 Park Ave., 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800
245 Park Ave., 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800