Shoeless Joe Jackson (1887โ1951) was an American
outfielder who played
Major League Baseball in the early 1900s. He is remembered for his performance on the field and for his association with the
Black Sox Scandal, in which members of the 1919
Chicago White Sox participated in a conspiracy to
fix the
World Series. Jackson played for three Major League teams during his twelve-year career, briefly playing for the
Philadelphia Athletics and the minor league
New Orleans Pelicans before joining the
Cleveland Naps for five years and finishing his career with the Chicago White Sox. He played
left field for most of his career, and currently has the third-highest career batting average in major league history. He always denied being part of the match fixing scandal and subsequent events have cast doubts on his involvement.
This picture shows Jackson holding his baseball bat, Black Betsy, during his time with the Cleveland Naps in 1913.Photograph credit: Charles M. Conlon