“shoeless” Joe Jackson Museum And Baseball Library

“Shoeless” Joe Jackson was a talented young baseball player from the Upstate of South Carolina who played in the early years of the 20th century. He enjoyed a successful career in the Major Leagues until he was banned from the sport after the 1920 season. Jackson was one of eight players that were accused of conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series.

Joseph Jefferson Jackson was born to a poor family from Pickens County, just outside Greenville, South Carolina. He went to work in a textile mill at the age of six, and reportedly never learned to read or write. Jackson showed early signs of greatness in baseball and was playing on the men’s mill team by the age of 13. He acquired his nickname while playing semi-pro ball with the Greenville Spinners in 1908. He removed his shoes during a game because of blisters. That was the only time Jackson ever played shoeless in a game, but the name stuck with him. Joe Jackson’s career in the Major Leagues lasted 12 years. He played baseball with the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1908-09 season. He played with the Chicago Naps from 1910-15 and with the Chicago White Sox from 1915-20. Jackson had a .356 lifetime batting average. One of the highlights of his career was leading the White Sox to a World Series victory over the New York Giants in 1917. His impressive World Series stats included 12 hits, 6 RBIs, 1 home run, and a series batting average of .307.

Jackson was a member of the 1919 White Sox team that lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. Because the White Sox had been heavily favored to win the series, suspicions arose that some of the White Sox were under the influence of bookies and had thrown the World Series. Jackson and seven other members of the team were tried in 1921 for conspiring to throw the series. A Chicago jury acquitted the players on all counts. Despite the acquittal, the new commissioner of baseball banned all eight players from professional baseball. This ended Jackson’s career.

After baseball Jackson and his wife moved to Savannah and later back to Greenville, where he owned a barbecue restaurant and then a liquor store. Jackson continued to play semi-pro ball. The “Shoeless” Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library is located in Jackson’s former home. The house was moved to its current location in 2006, across from Fluor Field in the historic West End. The museum displays photos, film, records, and other memorabilia associated with Jackson’s career. The library contains books related to baseball. The library recently received a donation of research documents related to the 1919 World Series Black Sox scandal.

The museum is located at 356 Field Street. Admission is free. The museum is open on Saturdays from 10am-2pm, and there is free parking behind the museum.

By: G. Carpenter

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G. Carpenter is the General Manager at the Holiday Inn Express Simpsonville hotel. The Holiday Inn Express Simpsonville is located just south of Greenville and only minutes from Mauldin, Fountain Inn, Laurens, and the Greenville Zoo. The hotel located just off I-385 at exit 27 with easy access to I-85, I-185 and I-26. For more information visit: www.SimpsonvilleHotel.com