Winter 2014 Auction Closing Feb 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2014
By the early 30's, Shoeless Joe Jackson was winding down his long career as an active player. Though banned from organized baseball in 1920, Jackson continued to play the game for who ever wanted to risk the controversy of having him in the lineup. The former superstar appeared anywhere from dusty western mining towns to urban playgrounds of the north. In 1932 Jackson and his wife moved to Greenville, South Carolina where he bought a liquor store and settled in with the local Greenville Spinners baseball team. Jackson had begun his professional career with Greenville in 1908 and the town was actually the place his famous "Shoeless Joe" nickname was bestowed upon him. Now relegated to semi-pro status and thus not part of organized baseball, the Spinners welcomed Joe with open arms and it was on the diamonds of Greenville, right back where he began, that Jackson had his last days of baseball glory.
Ordered specifically for his post-banishment play, Jackson purchased bats from Hillerich & Bradsby where he was formerly one of the company's prized endorsement players. Jackson's post-major leagues Hillerich & Bradsby bat center brand lists this bat as a 125J model, consistent with Jackson's favored J13 model. At 35" it conforms in length to his known bats and the weight, at 33oz a little lighter than his playing days, is attributed to his age at the time this bat was ordered and used. The barrel is stamped "JACKSON" and best of all, this bat carried his trademark "Black Betsy" finish favored since he was a buster. This particular 125J bat was not available as a store model after he and the Black Sox were banished from the game, and the design of the "Powerized" and "Oil Tempered" places this bat from the 1933-1934 period when which Shoeless Joe was still plying his trade on the semi-pro barnstorming level. The bat shows heady game use and the handle has 8 clubhouse nails in it. Period cleat marks can be seen as well as ball marks and stitch impressions from countless baseballs Jackson launched out of nameless rural southern ball fields.
It goes without saying that any game used bat attributed to Shoeless Joe Jackson comes on the market but rarely. This bat not only has been used by the infamous baseball legend but also at a time when he was relegated to baseball purgatory. Grateful rural baseball fans who otherwise would never had the opportunity to see him play, witnessed Jackson play out his career on dusty sandlots, anxious to see the legend Shoeless Joe Jackson bat one last time. Letter of Authenticity from MEARS who have given this bat a complete forensic examination and awarded it their grade of A7.