“Shoeless“ Joe Jackson

“Shoeless“ Joe Jackson

(1888 – 1951)

Joseph Jefferson “Shoeless Joe” Jackson was a Major League Baseball player, know today as one of the eight Chicago White Sox players banned forever from MLB for his role in the 1919 “Black Sox” Scandal. Here is where it gets sticky: In the fixed World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, all eight players were acquitted, but still banned for life by baseball’s first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

Shoeless Joe’s stats for the series:

12 hits (a series record, Lead both teams)

.375 average (Lead both teams)

Fielded 30 balls with NO ERRORS

Hmmmmmmmm………….doesn’t sound like a guy throwing some games…….. Like everything else, the rumors fly…..Some contemporary news accounts say he admitted his participation in the fix….. But no direct quote to this effect appears in the actual stenographic record of his grand jury appearance, casting doubt on how much truth there was to these accounts.

The debate continues………

He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Greenville, South Carolina.

Trivia:

The “Say it ain’t so, Joe” story never happened……..

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson

(1878 – 1946)

First African American to hold the heavyweight championship title. For the time, this is an incredible feat. Read about how he was treated by racists, accused of crimes, unbelievable that he could concentrate on boxing. There  is a really good movie about him starring James Earl Jones called “The Great White Hope”. There is also a really in depth documentary that PBS shows occasionally about his life. Born in Galveston, Texas, but buried in Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois.

Trivia:

Robert Fitzsimmons,  ANOTHER  heavyweight champion, is buried in the same cemetery.

Ty Cobb

 

Tyrus Raymond  “Ty” Cobb

(1886 -1961)

“The Georgia Peach” was an American Major League Baseball player. He is widely credited with setting 90 records in his Major League career. Mind boggling ! One that may never be broken, is a .367 (or .366 depending on source) lifetime batting average. Unbelievable that anyone could hit over .300 for 23 straight seasons. His reputation has been tarnished with allegations of violence and racism, and even the kindest description, in my opinion, would be that he was one rough ol’ boy. Not a guy to pick a fight with, but no one can argue with, however he played the game, that he is arguably the greatest Player ever. There is a great book by Al Stump about him this has a lot of info.It’s called “Cobb” and was made into a film starring Tommy Lee Jones.

He is buried in Royston, Georgia at Rose Hill Cemetery. Only three Baseball players attended his funeral.

Trivia:  A shrewd business man, Cobb’s estimated net worth at the time of his death was  about 11.8 million dollars. That’s 93 million in todays dollars, folks.

Josh Gibson

Josh Gibson (1911- 1947)

An American who played the position of catcher in baseball’s Negro Leagues. Baseball historians consider Gibson to be among the very best catchers and power hitters of any league, including the Major Leagues. Elected to the Baseball hall of Fame in 1972, he was known as the “Black Babe Ruth”. Some fans even called Babe Ruth the “White Josh Gibson”.  Unbelievably, because of an unwritten  “gentleman’s agreement” policy that prevented non-white players from playing, he never got to play in the major leagues. . The Baseball Hall of fame maintains he hit “almost 800” home runs in his 17 year career, and his lifetime batting avg. is estimated between .350 and .384. Statistical achievements may never be completely accurate because the Negro Leagues did not compile complete statistics or game summaries. Basically he was one of the greatest ball players ever, but doesn’t (but he should) get much credit.

He  died at the age of 35 and is buried in the Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburg, PA