In 1919 World Series Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned from playing baseball for the rest of their lives because they were accused of purposely losing their games so that the Cincinnati Reds would win the World Series. This event was called the Black Sox Scandal. One of the men that were involved in this event was Shoeless Joe Jackson. At a very young age Jackson showed terrific batting skills and at the age of thirteen he joined the Brandon Mill Men’s Team. At the age of twenty-one he received a call to play in the Major Leagues with Philadelphia Athletics. After several times of getting traded Shoeless Joe Jacksons last team was the Chicago White Sox. In 1919 Jackson was banned from ever playing baseball again and couldn’t be in the Hall of Fame even though he was one of the best players on the team. There are three reasons why Jackson should have been in the Hall of Fame and not have been banned from baseball, he worked hard to get where he was, his stats proved that he was an amazing player, and he was always trying to do the right thing. People should focus more toward the positive actions that Shoeless Joe Jackson had made rather than focusing on if he was involved in the Black Sox Scandal because they should know that he played his best throughout the series and worked hard to get up to the top and play professionally


Shoeless Joe Jackson was born on July 16, 1888 in Pickens County South Carolina. He was the oldest of eight children, five boys and two girls. At the age of six Jackson was working in a mill as an employee of a textile mill or “clean up boy “otherwise known as linthead. “He received little formal education, and never learned to read or write” (Sports, 1887-1951 Shoeless Joe Jackson). At the age of thirteen he was working twelve hours a day. When Jackson got older he would play with the baseball bat and people knew that this young man had talent. When Boston Braves Scout saw Jackson’s skill at the bat, he offered Jackson to play on his team and would get paid $2.50 a game. With that little money that Jackson would get from playing he would give to his parents to help with the expenses. As he started getting older and getting better at baseball the Greenville Spinners called him to play for their team and he would get paid $75 a month. When Jackson turned twenty-one he received “the call” to play in the major leagues, he was traded to Cleveland otherwise known as “Naps” in 1910.
Jackson was an amazing player. He played left field, batted on his left side and threw with his right hand. “Lifetime Batting Average was .356 (third highest in baseball history)” (Joe’s Story Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum). He had amazing stats and he was the MVP of his team. Jackson wanted to win the World Series so why would he ruin his chances to be in the Hall Of Fame. “Jackson hit .375 tops among the teams; he had 12 hits in eight games, including the only home run of the Series, scored five runs, and managed six RBIs” (Sports, 1887-1951
Shoeless Joe Jackson). Jackson had a passion for baseball he loved it and he was good at it. He grew up poor in a tough neighborhood and with all the money he earned he would give to his parents to pay for the bills. He stayed in a moral state throughout his career.
During the Black Sox Scandal there was not a single person who was the mastermind of the whole idea but two of them who did come up with the Idea. Which were William Thomas “Sleepy Bill” Burns and Billy Maharg. “Burns was an ex-major league pitcher and was the connection to the players while Maharg was the gambler with the connections underground” (Eric W. Everstine). Their idea was to fix the World Series but they couldn’t do it alone so they asked six other players including Jackson. Of course they wouldn’t help them for free so burns and Maharg offered them money. Jackson was given 5,000 and with that money he went to Charlie Comiskey and tried to give him the money however he told him to keep the money. Jackson was a good person he tried to do the right thing.
“I copied Jackson’s style because I thought he was the greatest hitter I had ever seen, the greatest natural hitter I ever saw. He’s the guy who made me a hitter (Babe Ruth) Great players looked up at Jackson the fans looked up at him, so many people believed that Jackson was an innocent man because of the person he was, the way he grew up and his passion for baseball. No one is perfect and therefore people should be remembered for the positive achievements that one
has completed instead of the negative actions or mistakes they have made especially Shoeless Joe Jackson.