South Carolina Smiles and Places 2008 Official Vacation Guide - (Page 19) On Tuesday, July 16, 1889, in a small mill town just outside of Greenville, South Carolina, one of the state’s most famous celebrities was born. To his parents, he was Joseph Jefferson Jackson. But the world came to know him as “Shoeless” Joe, one of the greatest natural hitters the game of baseball has ever known. “Shoeless” Joe got his nickname early in his career in the South Carolina Mill Leagues. Even though he was too young to work at the local mill, Joe was allowed to play ball for the Brandon Mill baseball team. It was on this team that Joe received the nickname “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Legend has it that Joe was trying to break in a new pair of cleats during a double header. But after the first game, the shoes rubbed Joe’s feet so raw that he asked to sit out the second game. The coach needed him in the lineup, so he refused Joe’s request to rest his blistered feet. Joe then made a decision that would change his life forever. He decided to play the second game of the double header in his stocking feet. During that fateful game, Joe ripped a home run. One of the fans for the other team got so frustrated they yelled out, “Oh, you shoeless son of a gun!” Scoop Latimer, a reporter for the Greenville News, heard the fan’s jeer and coined the name “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, the name that would follow Joe the rest of his career. Joe was never fond of this moniker. But despite his protests, the name stuck. And quicker than a 95mph fastball, word of South Carolina’s newest baseball talent spread from the mill leagues to the minors and then the majors. Jackson caught the eye of a scout for the Philadelphia Athletics while playing for Greenville, South Carolina’s minor league team, the Spinners. And soon thereafter, Joe was on his way to stardom ripping a blistering .408 batting average in his first full season as a professional. Despite his high average, he lost the batting title to another baseball legend. Ty Cobb hit .420 that same year. But even after losing the American League Batting Title to Ty, there was no doubt that “Shoeless” Joe was a special young ballplayer. Like a lot of professional athletes, Joe was a very superstitious character. Legend has it that Joe would collect hairpins he’d find around the towns where he played ball. He’d keep his collection of hairpins with him on the field in his back pocket until he hit a slump, at which point he’d discard the hairpins and start the process all over again. Joe employed the same superstitious philosophy with the bats he would use. He often claimed that there were only a limited number of hits inside every bat. So, if he were hitting well, he’d use the same bat over and over. If he hit a slump, he’d discard the bat and start using another. This superstition held true for every bat he ever used except one—the infamous “Black Betsy.” At 36 inches long, 40 ounces in weight and sporting a deep, dark brown varnish of pine tar and tobacco juice, Black Betsy was Joe’s weapon of choice late in his career. Regarded as one of baseball history’s most valuable pieces of memorabilia, Black Betsy is currently estimated to be worth over a half-million dollars. Most people know the rest of Joe’s story. After the 1919 World Series, eight of the Chicago White Sox players, including “Shoeless” Joe, were officially banned from baseball for allegedly throwing the Series. Many baseball scholars defend Joe’s reputation by pointing to his stellar .375 batting average and his error-free fielding percentage in the series. But alas, “Shoeless” Joe’s role, if any, in the 1919 World Series scandal will forever be debated by baseball buffs and history nuts alike. In an effort to pay homage to “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, the city of Greenville took on the challenge of moving and converting Joe’s childhood home into a living, breathing memorial to the legendary player. Now open, the “Shoeless” Joe Jackson Museum, along with a life-size statue of “Shoeless” Joe, is located in downtown Greenville next to West End Field, home to the Boston Red Sox single A affiliate, The Greenville Drive. Constructed as a replica of the world famous Fenway Park, West End Field is another must-see for any baseball fan. Find out more in Places Turn to page 145 in the “green pages” for more on Greenville. The statue in downtown Greenville, SC honoring “Shoeless” Joe. Photo courtesy of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson Museum. Legend has it that Ruth fashioned his swing after Joe’s— calling Jackson’s swing the best he ever saw. www.DiscoverSouthCarolina.com 19 http://www.DiscoverSouthCarolina.com
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