Quote:
Originally Posted by John Madden
Those stats are exactly why many people (myself included) believe Shoeless Joe didn't follow through with his promise to throw the series at all, and deserves induction.
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Let's do a little review of Joe Jackson in the 1919 World Series:
G1: Jackson goes 0-4, no key situations.
G2: Down 3-0, Jackson strikes out looking with a runner on 2nd in the 6th inning. Top of the 8th, trailing 4-2 with 2 outs, Shoeless bloops a single just over the head of the firstbaseman and inexplicably takes a huge turn at first base. The firstbaseman airmails the easy throw to pick him off. Jackson advances to 2nd.
G3: Bottom of 3rd, leading 2-0, Jackson pops up a bunt to 1B with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Bottom of the 6th, up 3-0 Jackson gets thrown out trying to steal 2nd after singling to open the frame.
G4: Leads off the bottom of the 2nd with a "double" on a ball that drops in after a miscommunication between Edd Roush and Greasy Neale. Gets stranded at 3rd. Bottom of the 3rd, still scoreless, grounds out to 2nd with two outs, man on 2nd.
G5: Bottom of the 1st, no score, Shoeless pops out to 3rd with 1 out, men on 1st and 3rd. Bottom of the 9th, down 5-0, Jackson grounds out with 2 away and a runner on 3rd base.
G6: Top of the 6th, trailing 4-1, Jackson singles home Buck Weaver with no outs. Top of the 10th, Shoeless lays down a bunt single with Weaver on 2nd, no outs while tied 4-4. Weaver scores 2 batters later on a single by Chick Gandil.
G7: Top of the 1st, Shano Collins on 2nd with 2 outs, Jackson singles him home. But for some reason, for the second time in the series, wanders way off 1st taking the turn, but issafe back at first when Jake Daubert drops the throw. Up 1-0 in the 3rd, Shoeless singles home Shano Collins again with 2 outs. Leading 2-0 in the top of the 5th, Jackson grounds out with 2 outs with men on 1st and 2nd.
G8: In the 3rd inning down 5-0, Jackson hits a solo homer. Bottom of the 8th, Jackson hits a 2-run double while trailing 10-1. Bottom of the 9th, trailing 10-5 with runners on 3rd and 2nd, Jackson grounds out to end the Series.
Yet despite all of this, he set what was a record for 45 years for hits in a World Series, almost all of which came when the outcome has been pretty much decided.
Defensively, 9 of the Reds 16 extra base hits are hit to Jackson's direction in left field, including three triples(!).
Also, excerpts from Joe Jackson's court testimony:
A Well, Attel was supposed to give the $100,000. It was to be split up, paid to him, I believe, and $15,000 a day or something like that, after each game.
Q That is to Gandil?
A Yes.
Q At the end of the first game you didn't get any money, did you?
A No, I did not, no, sir.
Q Then you went ahead and threw the second game, thinking you would get it then, is that right?
A We went ahead and threw the second game, we went after him again. I said to him, What are you going to do? "Everything is all right?" he says, What the hell is the matter?
Q After the third game what did you say to him?
A After the third game I says, "Somebody is getting a nice little jazz, everybody is crossed." He said, "Well, Abe Attel and Bill Burns had crossed him." that is what he said to me.
Q He said Abe Attel and Bill Burns had crossed him?
A Yes, sir.
Q After throwing the fourth game, did you talk to him then before Williams brought you the money?
A No, sir; I didn't talk to him then, no, sir. Williams and I talked.
I find it interesting that Shoeless Joes doesn't start hitting when it counts until Game 6. Or that he was ticked off about not getting the rest of the money for the games that were thrown.
Shoeless Joe Jackson was a fantastic player. And I want to believe that he has been unfairly punished. But this blind faith in ".375, 0 errors" as proof that he wasn't involved just doesn't stand up to scrutiny when looked at in context.