Shoeless Joe Jackson, and the rest of his teammates who are banned from baseball forever, due to the Black Sox scandal, are not in the Hall of Fame. However, they still have a very strong presence in Cooperstown.
On the main level of the baseball hall of fame, you’ll see prominent photos of Shoeless Joe, the 1919 Chicago White Sox, and various artifacts relating to both the team and the scandal. The hall has ace pitcher Eddie Cicotte’s pocket watch, manager Kid Gleason’s jersey and the very first ball thrown in the World Series on display.
On this week’s episode on Field of Dreams, the team discussed the film’s influence on real life, especially #MLBatFieldofDreams, chatting about how the magic of the movie might be lost because of the spectacle.
Full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!https://t.co/Sr9bHYmhRW
— Goals on Film (@GoalsOnFilmPod) August 9, 2022
We appeared as a guest on the sports movie podcast, Goals on Film, linked above
We previewed Thursday night’s MLB game at the Field of Dreams site in Iowa here.
And re-examined and reviewed the movie at this link
Yes, if you recall from “Eight Men Out” the primary indicator that chicanery is afoot, “tell Cicotte to hit the first batter if the fix is on”- that’s here!
The Hall of Fame resides on Main Street in Cooperstown, and it’s surrounded by shops specializing in baseball cards, memorabilia, regalia and various other paraphernalia. The store of this sort closest to the Hall’s entrance is named Shoeless Joe’s.
This Just In: #MLB reveals throwback #FieldofDreamsGame uniforms for Chicago #Cubs and Cincinnati #Reds to be worn this Thursday night in Iowa.
Details, history, more pics right here: https://t.co/Zdpyy1zQW0 pic.twitter.com/DIEtmpu6DM
— Chris Creamer (@sportslogosnet) August 8, 2022
That is symbolism and irony that you just cannot buy. Speaking of things I cannot buy, some of the most expensive baseball cards in these shops are those of the Black Sox, with each one costing several hundred dollars at minimum.
We spoke with some Hall of Fame guides, and they confirmed the following:
-Black Sox memorabilia is some of the highest in demand and price, and it’s very rare
-A Shoeless Joe Jackson glove was once in the hall but was later removed due to authentication issues.
-Shoeless Joe has less of a presence in the museum due to problems of provenance and verification; not due to anything involving his reputation or values, ideology etc.
Cooperstown does not distance themselves from the team in the manner that the Chicago White Sox do. While it’s understandable why the Sox do it, it’s probably time to rethink that.
The product rollout for this marketing gimmick of a baseball game came at the same time that sports betting was being legalized, and henceforth de-stigmatized/mainstreamed in the United States.
Maybe 100 years was a long enough sentence for the Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Black Sox to serve?
Especially when you consider that they were acquitted in court. After all, if you’re going to capitalize on the 1980s baseball movie boom/the very popular mythology surrounding Jackson, then you really should just jump in the water, instead of dipping your toes in.
These are concepts that we’ve explored, both in written and in podcast form, long before this game was ever conceived of.
Along the concourse walls of Sox Park is a visual history of the ball club. While Shoeless Joe and the 1919 White Sox are represented, no mention, at all, is made to the Black Sox scandal.
On one hand, yes, why would you want to call more attention to the prime example of somebody undermining the wholesomeness of pure competition and genuine ambition in order to get paid by mobsters? That doesn’t make sense.
On the other hand, it is only the most interesting and captivating moment in baseball history, and it inspired the greatest book and movie in baseball history.
And Jackson, owner of the third highest batting average in MLB history, maintained his innocence (even perjuring himself in order to do so) until his dying day. And he was an extremely interesting and engaging human being in many ways beyond the Black Sox World Series too. Also, you don’t get to pick and choose when it comes to history.
What’s out there, about any given subject or person is already out there, and there is nothing you can do about it.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.