This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/1/2022
Another one of baseball's prime subjects for a potential "What If?" series, one can only wonder what "Shoeless" Joe Jackson could have done if he had not been banned from baseball for his alleged role in the 1919 "Black Sox" conspiracy. Banished at the age of 32, one can only speculate what Jackson could have accomplished with another 5, 6, or even 10 years of extra playing time. A 3,000 hit career? Almost assuredly. A trade to the Boston Red Sox for Babe Ruth, as had been discussed by the two teams? Imagine Jackson knocking fastballs off the Fenway left-field wall, Ruth setting home run records in Chicago, and the Yankees dynasty never existing. As legend would have it, when superstar outfielder Joe Jackson left a criminal court proceeding in the custody of a sheriff after telling his story to the grand jury, he was confronted by several hundred youngsters waiting to get a glimpse of their idol. One child, grabbing Jackson's coat sleeve, said: "It ain't true, is it, Joe?" Jackson replied, "Yes, kid, I'm afraid it is." Regardless of whether the exchange actually happened or was a mere fabrication to sell newspapers, the "Say It Ain't So" story remains a well-known part of baseball lore. Many believe that Jackson didn't participate in the conspiracy, or perhaps they just want to believe he wasn't given what a great player he was; there's plenty of evidence to make a case either way. Although he never won a batting title (Ty Cobb had that pretty much locked up from year to year), Shoeless Joe Jackson's .356 lifetime batting average over 13 seasons stands as #3 all-time behind Cobb and Hornsby. The offered card has been graded EX/MT+ 6.5 by SGC, exceptionally well centered left to right with the top to bottom centering slightly favoring the bottom edge. The quality of the image featuring the infamous baseball legend is precisely focused while the surface is full of the scintillating covering of gloss that the series is so well known for. Flipping over to the reverse, the blank-backed variation shows no evidence of liability outside of the normal and inevitable stray print dot here and there. And finally, the corners show mild wear that borders on NM condition, making the final assessment a thoughtful conclusion. A significant card offered in outstanding EX/MT+ condition, teetering on an even stronger assessment.