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60-457: Joseph Jefferson Jackson (July 16, 1887 – December 5, 1951), nicknamed " Shoeless Joe ", was an American outfielder who played Major League Baseball (MLB) in the early 20th century. Although his .356 career batting average is the fourth highest in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he is often remembered for his association with the Black Sox Scandal , in which members of

120-463: A backspin so that the Magnus effect creates an upward force on the ball. This causes it to fall less rapidly than expected, and sometimes causes an optical illusion often called a rising fastball . Although it is impossible for a human to throw a baseball fast enough and with enough backspin for the ball to actually rise, to the batter the pitch seems to rise due to the unexpected lack of natural drop on

180-425: A center fielder . Corner outfielders are often slower and have less defensive value than the center fielder . However, there are some important differences between right fielders and left fielders . Right fielders tend to have the best throwing arms of the outfield so they can make the long throw to third base, but often are not as fast as left fielders. Center fielders are generally the fastest and most athletic of

240-602: A .351 average during the regular season and .375 with perfect fielding in the World Series. However, the heavily favored White Sox lost the series to the Cincinnati Reds . The following season, the 32-year-old Jackson batted .382. He was having one of his best overall seasons, leading the American League in triples and setting by large margins career marks for home runs, RBIs, and fewest strikeouts per plate appearance when he

300-445: A low arm slot can also exhibit sinking and running movement due to the horizontal spin axis imparted by a low or sidearm release point. To throw a sinker, the pitcher typically grips the ball as they would a four-seam, but with their index and middle finger parallel to the seams instead of perpendicular to them. This causes the ball to spin with two seams crossing the plane of spin instead of four. Throughout much of baseball history,

360-606: A month, and hit .346 to lead the Carolina Association in batting average, hits, and RBI for 1908. In August 1908, his contract was purchased by Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics for $ 900. Jackson immediately reported to the Athletics and made his major league debut. For the first two years of his career, Jackson had some trouble adjusting to life with the Athletics; reports conflict as to whether he did not like

420-501: A mysterious voice instructing him to build a baseball field on his farm so Shoeless Joe—among others—can play baseball again. Outfielder Outfielders named to the MLB All-Century Team are Hank Aaron , Ty Cobb , Joe DiMaggio , Mickey Mantle , Willie Mays , Stan Musial , Pete Rose , Babe Ruth , Ted Williams , Carl Yastrzemski , and Ken Griffey Jr. Players can be characterized as either corner outfielders or

480-466: A pitch slower than a pitcher's four-seam, that drops faster with either sharp glove-side 'cutting' movement or minimal arm-side movement. Though the cutter is less common in MLB than the four-seam and the sinker , there have been many notable practitioners such as: The fastest pitch officially recognized by MLB was a 105.8 mph four-seam fastball thrown by Aroldis Chapman on September 24, 2010. Since

540-651: A single-season record for a rookie that still stands. He remained in Cleveland until early in the 1915 season; he then played for the White Sox through 1920. Later, Jackson played baseball under assumed names throughout the South. Jackson holds the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox franchise records for triples in a season and career batting average. In 1999, he ranked number 35 on The Sporting News ' list of

600-468: A staple for many notable pitchers, often referred to as 'sinkerballers', such as: The cutter or cut fastball , is a pitch that blurs the lines between a four-seam fastball and a slider . The pitcher typically shifts their grip on a four-seam fastball to the side of the ball, and slightly supinates their wrist to convert some backspin into gyroscopic spin. This alters the movement of the fastball in several ways. Combined, these effects typically create

660-442: Is its high speed. " Power pitchers ," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens , relied on the speed, often exceeding 100mph, and movement of their fastballs to prevent the ball from being hit. As an alternative to the fastball, pitchers can put more movement on slower thrown balls, or throw them towards the inside or outside of home plate where batters cannot easily reach it. Fastballs are usually thrown with

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720-462: Is often considered the most difficult outfield position, requiring both a good throwing arm and speed. Center fielders on many teams often bat lead off . Players who do not routinely start games, but often substitute as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement in the outfield are referred to as fourth outfielders or even fifth outfielders . These players can usually play any of the three outfield positions. Corner outfielders are outfielders who play

780-685: Is thrown with a moderate degree of gyro spin and properly oriented seams, the rotating seams around one pole of the baseball create a greater disturbance in the air compared to the seamless area around the other pole. This uneven drag force induces a force perpendicular to the spin direction, typically resulting in more horizontal run, vertical drop, and generally more unpredictable movement than sinkers with less substantial SSW effects. While all pitches experience SSW effects to some degree, sinkers with pronounced seam-shifted movement are understood to be particularly effective pitches, resulting in better outcomes like increased ground ball rates. The sinker has been

840-516: The 1919 Chicago White Sox participated in a conspiracy to fix the World Series . As a result, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned Jackson from baseball after the 1920 season. During the World Series in question, Jackson had led both teams in several statistical categories and set a World Series record with 12 base hits. Jackson's role in the scandal, banishment from the game, and exclusion from

900-581: The Baseball Hall of Fame have been fiercely debated. Jackson played for three MLB teams during his 12-year career, primarily in left field . He spent 1908–1909 as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics and 1910 with the minor league New Orleans Pelicans before joining the Cleveland Naps at the end of the 1910 season. He was still considered a rookie in 1911, when he hit for a .408 average,

960-499: The Chicago Daily News wrote a regretful tribute headlined, "Say it ain't so, Joe." The phrase became legendary when another reporter later erroneously attributed it to a child outside the courthouse: When Jackson left the criminal court building in the custody of a sheriff after telling his story to the grand jury, he found several hundred youngsters, aged from 6 to 16, waiting for a glimpse of their idol. One child stepped up to

1020-586: The New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association , where he won the batting title and led the team to the pennant. Late in the season, he was called up to play on the big league team. He appeared in 20 games for the Naps, and managed a batting average of .387. In 1911, Jackson's first full MLB season, he set several rookie records. His .408 batting average that season is a record that still stands and

1080-828: The Northwest League 's Spokane Indians . In October 2021, a signed photograph of Jackson sold for $ 1.47 million, making it the most expensive sports photograph. Shoeless Joe was depicted in several films in the late 20th century. Eight Men Out , a film directed by John Sayles , based on the Eliot Asinof book of the same name, details the Black Sox Scandal in general and has D. B. Sweeney portraying Jackson. The Phil Alden Robinson film Field of Dreams , based on Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella , stars Ray Liotta as Jackson. Kevin Costner plays an Iowa farmer who hears

1140-523: The Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum formally petitioned Commissioner Rob Manfred for reinstatement, on grounds that Jackson had "more than served his sentence" in the 95 years since his banishment by Landis. Manfred denied the request after an official review, writing: "The results of this work demonstrate to me that it is not possible now, over 95 years since those events took place and were considered by Commissioner Landis, to be certain enough of

1200-413: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution lauding Jackson's sporting achievements and encouraging MLB to rescind his ineligibility. The resolution was symbolic since the U.S. government had no jurisdiction in the matter, and Jackson died in 1951, some 48 years earlier. Commissioner Bud Selig stated that Jackson's case was under review, but no decision was issued during Selig's tenure. In 2015,

1260-578: The 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team . The fans voted him as the 12th-best outfielder of all time. He also ranks 33rd on the all-time list for non-pitchers according to the win shares formula developed by sabermetrician Bill James . Baseball legend Babe Ruth said that he modeled his hitting method after Jackson's. Jackson was born in Pickens County, South Carolina ,

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1320-402: The 1920 and 1921 seasons. Asinof's use of fictional characters within a supposedly non-fiction account added further questions about the book's historical accuracy. In 1989, MLB Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti declined to reinstate Jackson because the case was "now best given to historical analysis and debate as opposed to a present-day review with an eye to reinstatement." In November 1999,

1380-515: The October 1949 edition of Sport magazine, Jackson recalled he got his nickname during a mill game played in Greenville, South Carolina . Jackson had blisters on his foot from a new pair of cleats , which hurt so much that he took his shoes off before he was at bat . As play continued, a heckling fan noticed Jackson running to third base in his socks and shouted, "You shoeless son of a gun , you!" and

1440-515: The September 2009 issue of Chicago Lawyer magazine argued that Eliot Asinof 's 1963 book Eight Men Out , purporting to confirm Jackson's guilt, was based on inaccurate information. For example, Jackson never confessed to throwing the series as Asinof claimed. Further, Asinof omitted key facts from publicly available documents, such as the 1920 grand jury records and proceedings of Jackson's successful 1924 lawsuit against Comiskey to recover back pay for

1500-465: The age of 6 or 7, Jackson worked in one of the town's textile mills as a "linthead", a derogatory name for a mill hand. Family finances required Joe to take 12-hour shifts in the mill, and since education at the time was a luxury the Jackson family couldn't afford, Jackson was uneducated. His lack of education ultimately became an issue throughout Jackson's life. It even affected the value of his memorabilia in

1560-642: The age of 64, he died of a heart attack . Jackson was the first of the eight banned players to die and is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Greenville. He had no children, but he and his wife raised two of his nephews. Though Jackson was banned from Major League Baseball, statues and parks have been constructed in his honor. One of the landmarks built for him was a memorial park in Greenville, Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park. A life-size statue of Jackson, created by South Carolina sculptor Doug Young, also stands in Greenville's West End. In 2006, Jackson's original home

1620-467: The allegations. Jackson's 12 base hits set a Series record that was not broken until 1964 , and he led both teams with a .375 batting average (.286 in the games the White Sox lost and .545 in the games they won). He committed no charged errors and threw out a runner at the plate. However, the Reds hit an unusually high number of triples, 3 out of 9 total, to Jackson's position in left field. The Sox pitchers said

1680-404: The area where the seams are the furthest apart. Keeping those seams parallel to the body, the pitcher places his index and middle fingers perpendicular to them with the pads on the furthest seam from him. The thumb then rests underneath the ball about in the middle of the two fingers. With this grip, the thumb will generally have no seam on which to rest. The four-seam fastball is widely regarded as

1740-453: The better-known stories of Jackson's post-major league life occurred at the store. Ty Cobb and sportswriter Grantland Rice entered the store, with Jackson showing no sign of recognition of Cobb. After making his purchase, Cobb finally asked Jackson, "Don't you know me, Joe?" Jackson replied, "Sure, I know you, Ty, but I wasn't sure you wanted to know me. A lot of them don't." As he aged, Jackson began to suffer from heart trouble. In 1951, at

1800-486: The big city or was bothered by hazing from teammates. Consequently, he spent much of that time in the minor leagues . Between 1908 and 1909, Jackson appeared in just 10 MLB games. During the 1909 season, Jackson played 118 games for the South Atlantic League 's Savannah Indians . He batted .358 for the year. The Athletics gave up on Jackson in 1910 and traded him to the Cleveland Naps . He spent most of 1910 with

1860-523: The case. Jackson's performance during the series itself lends further credence to his assertions, although the game records show that he hit far better during the "clean" games than those thrown. A 1993 article in The American Statistician reported the results of a statistical analysis of Jackson's contribution during the 1919 World Series and concluded that there was "substantial support to Jackson's subsequent claims of innocence". An article in

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1920-405: The collectibles market; because Jackson was illiterate, he often had his wife sign his signature. Consequently, anything autographed by Jackson himself brings a premium when sold, including one autograph which was sold for $ 23,500 in 1990 (equivalent to $ 55,000 in 2023). In restaurants, rather than ask someone to read the menu to him, he would wait until his teammates ordered and then order one of

1980-633: The construction foreman. In 1951, Jackson was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class. The selection was controversial at the time because although he had not yet been barred from consideration for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he had also not been enshrined therein. Additionally, his tenure with the Naps/Indians was relatively short. However, an outpouring of support from Indians fans convinced

2040-521: The corner positions of right field and left field . Corner outfielders often have less speed than center fielders , but make up for this deficiency with their offensive play. The main differences between left and right fielders are, first, that left fielders handle more chances because right-handed pull hitters tend to hit balls to left; second, that right fielders typically have stronger arms; third, that right fielders are frequently (not always) slower and less agile defensively. Many left fielders have had

2100-407: The count or when he needs to throw a strike . This type of fastball is intended to have minimal lateral movement, relying more on its velocity and vertical 'rising' movement. It is typically the fastest pitch a pitcher throws, with recorded top speeds above 100 mph. Two general methods are used to throw a four-seam fastball. The first and most traditional way is to find the horseshoe seam area, or

2160-415: The fix by plying him with whiskey. Austrian also persuaded the nearly illiterate Jackson to sign a waiver of immunity from prosecution. Years later, the other seven players implicated in the scandal confirmed that Jackson was never at any meetings. Williams said they only mentioned Jackson's name to give their plot more credibility, although he did not say why Jackson would have been paid $ 5,000 had that been

2220-488: The items that he heard. In 1900, when he was 13 years old, his mother was approached by one of the owners of the Brandon Mill, and he started to play for the mill's baseball team. He was the youngest player on the team. He was paid $ 2.50 to play on Saturdays (equivalent to $ 92 in 2023). He was initially a pitcher, but one day he accidentally broke another player's arm with a fastball . No one wanted to bat against him, so

2280-619: The league with 197 hits and a .551 slugging percentage . In August 1915, Jackson was traded to the Chicago White Sox. Two years later, Jackson and the White Sox won the American League pennant and also the World Series . During the series, Jackson hit .307 as the White Sox defeated the New York Giants . Jackson missed most of the 1918 season while working in a shipyard because of World War I . In 1919, he returned strongly to post

2340-551: The main key to advancing to the next level of play. One of a baseball scout's main criteria when scouting a prospect is how fast he throws a four-seam fastball. The sinker , synonymous with the two-seam fastball, two-seamer , tailing fastball , or running fastball is a type of fastball thrown with a seam orientation that induces more downward or arm-side horizontal movement compared to four-seam fastballs or cutters. Historically, distinctions have been made between these terms, but today, they are all recognized by MLB as variations of

2400-693: The mid-2000s, MLB has observed a significant increase in fastball velocity among pitchers. In 2008, the average four-seam fastball velocity in the MLB was below 92 mph. This figure has climbed steadily, surpassing 93 mph by 2015, and exceeding 94 mph by 2023. The frequency of pitches exceeding 100 mph further illustrates this trend: in the 2008 regular season, only 214 fastballs reached speeds greater than 100 mph, whereas in 2023, there were 3,848 such pitches. This trend highlights significant advancements in athlete training as well as changes in player evaluation and development. Increasing fastball velocities have contributed to

2460-411: The numerous antiquated descriptors into three groups: four-seam fastballs , sinkers (two-seam fastballs), and cutters (cut fastballs). Despite its name, the split-finger fastball or 'splitter' is not considered to be a type of fastball and is known as an off-speed pitch . The four-seam fastball is the most common variant of the fastball. The pitch is used often by the pitcher to get ahead in

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2520-431: The oldest son of George Jackson, a sharecropper . While Jackson was still a baby, his father moved the family to Pelzer, South Carolina . A few years later, the family moved to a company town called Brandon Mill on the outskirts of Greenville, South Carolina . An attack of measles almost killed him when he was 10. He was bedridden for two months, paralyzed, while he was nursed back to health by his mother. Starting at

2580-473: The outfielder, and, grabbing his coat sleeve, said: "It ain't true, is it, Joe?" "Yes, kid, I'm afraid it is," Jackson replied. The boys opened a path for the ball player and stood in silence until he passed out of sight. "Well, I'd never have thought it," sighed the lad. In an interview in Sport nearly three decades later, Jackson confirmed that the legendary exchange never occurred. Jackson's involvement in

2640-490: The pitch. Colloquially , a fastball pitcher is said to "throw heat" or "put cream on it", among many other variants. Many varieties or 'shapes' of fastballs have been described throughout baseball history, including four-seam fastballs, rising fastballs, two-seam fastballs, sinkers, running fastballs, cut fastballs, and split finger fastballs. However, MLB currently recognizes three distinct types of fastballs, each with substantial variety in terms of movement, consolidating

2700-546: The pitcher behind their back to determine the pitch and tell where the ball could possibly be hit to. Many of the best power hitters in baseball play in the outfield , where they do not have as constant involvement in fielding plays as other positions, especially before the institution of the designated hitter . For example, Babe Ruth was moved from pitcher to the outfield. Left fielders and right fielders are more often slow power hitters, and center fielders are usually fast base-runners and good defensive players. Center field

2760-404: The reasons why a two-seam grip resulted in different ball movement compared to a four-seam fastball were not fully understood. While it was recognized that a reduced spin rate or altered spin axis could create the distinct movement profile of the sinker, it is now understood that the distinctive movement profile of sinkers is primarily due to the seam-shifted wake (SSW) phenomenon. When a sinker

2820-588: The remaining 20 years of his baseball career, Jackson played with and managed several semi-professional teams, most located in Georgia and South Carolina , under assumed names. In 1922, Jackson moved to Savannah, Georgia , and opened a dry cleaning business with his wife. In 1933, the Jacksons moved back to Greenville, South Carolina . After opening a barbecue restaurant, Jackson and his wife opened "Joe Jackson's Liquor Store", which they operated until his death. One of

2880-586: The resulting nickname "Shoeless Joe" stuck with him throughout the remainder of his life. In 1908, Jackson began his professional baseball career with his hometown minor league team, the Greenville Spinners of the Carolina Association , married 15-year-old Katie Wynn, and eventually signed with Connie Mack to play for the Philadelphia Athletics . Jackson started the season with the Spinners for $ 75

2940-486: The same pitch. Differences in arm slot, spin, and velocity cause some sinkers to exhibit more vertical 'drop' or 'sink', while others 'run' or move more horizontally toward the pitcher's arm side.The unique running and sinking movement profile of the sinker makes it more likely to induce ground balls than other pitches as it sinks under the plane of the batter's swing. Not all fastballs exhibiting sinking or running movement are necessarily sinkers; four-seam fastballs thrown from

3000-578: The scandal remains controversial to this day. He reportedly refused the $ 5,000 bribe twice—even though it would effectively double his salary—only to have teammate Lefty Williams toss the cash on the floor of his hotel room. Jackson then tried to tell White Sox owner Charles Comiskey about the fix. Still, Comiskey refused to meet with him. Unable to afford legal counsel, Jackson was represented by team attorney Alfred Austrian—a clear conflict of interest. Before Jackson's grand jury testimony, Austrian allegedly elicited Jackson's admission of his supposed role in

3060-497: The speed to play center field, but have lacked the throwing ability required. An example of an ultra-fast left fielder is Rickey Henderson ( Ben Oglivie and Lou Brock can fit this description too), whereas the slow-footed but very strong-armed Carl Furillo , "The Reading Rifle", sets a standard for right fielders in the terms specified here. Fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball . Its distinctive feature

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3120-616: The sports editors voting on the selections to elect him unanimously. Jackson was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary 's Shrine of the Eternals in 2002. Jackson's first relative to play professional baseball since his banishment was catcher Joseph Ray Jackson. The great-great-grandnephew of Shoeless Joe batted .386 for The Citadel in 2013 and was then drafted by the Texas Rangers . Later that year, he made his professional debut with

3180-406: The team manager placed him in the outfield. His hitting ability made him a celebrity around town. Around that time, he was given a baseball bat that he named Black Betsy . He was compared to Champ Osteen , another player from the mills who made it to the majors. He moved from mill team to mill team in search of better pay, playing semi-professional baseball by 1905. In an interview published in

3240-431: The team's outfielders were playing out of position and slowly fielding balls. It was alleged that Jackson admitted to participating in the fix during grand jury testimony on September 28, 1920. In 1921, a Chicago jury acquitted Jackson and his seven teammates of wrongdoing. Nevertheless, Kenesaw Mountain Landis , the newly appointed Commissioner of Baseball , imposed a lifetime ban on all eight players. "Regardless of

3300-407: The three, because they have to run the farthest in order to field balls in the gaps and back up the other outfielders when balls are hit to them. Outfielders should also be able to read where the ball may be placed based on what the pitcher is throwing. They can tell what the pitcher is throwing by the middle infielders, second base and short stop, in which they show the numbers the catcher is giving to

3360-434: The truth to overrule Commissioner Landis' determinations". In 2020, ESPN reported that MLB had shifted its policy and that the league "has no hold on banned players after they die because the ineligible list bars players from privileges that include a job with a major league club." It is unclear how that might affect Jackson's Hall of Fame prospects. See baseball statistics for an explanation of these statistics. During

3420-435: The verdict of juries," Landis declared, "no player that throws a ballgame; no player that undertakes or promises to throw a ballgame; no player that sits in a conference with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers where the ways and means of throwing games are planned and discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball." After the grand jury returned its indictments, Charley Owens of

3480-471: Was good for second overall in the league behind Ty Cobb 's .419 - one of the few times in baseball history that a batting average above .400 did not win a batting title. His .468 on-base percentage led the league. The following season, Jackson batted .395 and led the American League in hits , triples , and total bases. On April 20, 1912, Jackson scored the first run in Tiger Stadium . The next year, he led

3540-457: Was moved to a location adjacent to Fluor Field in downtown Greenville. The home was restored and opened in 2008 as the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum . The address is 356 Field Street, in honor of his lifetime .356 batting average. The restoration and move were chronicled on TLC 's reality show The Real Deal episode "A Home Run for Trademark", which aired March 31, 2007. Richard C. Davis , the owner of Trademark Properties, hired Josh Hamilton as

3600-469: Was suspended, along with seven other members of the White Sox, after allegations surfaced that the team had thrown the previous World Series. After the White Sox lost the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds , Jackson and seven other White Sox players were accused of accepting $ 5,000 each (equivalent to $ 88,000 in 2023) to throw the Series. In September 1920, a grand jury was convened to investigate

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