Ever since “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and seven other White Sox teammates were acquitted of allegedly fixing the 1919 World Series, Jackon's story has been wrapped in confusion. How else to explain the lifetime ban from baseball that followed? Even nearly a century after the Black Sox Scandal, “Fall from Grace” author and sports historian Tim Hornbaker is drawn to shedding light on Jackson’s rise and precipitous fall as a baseball superstar. For no one can doubt his talents, not with a career batting average of .356 that ranks as the third best of all time. And even though the White Sox lost the 1919 World Series 5-games-to-3 in what was then a best-of-nine format, Jackson led all hitters in the Series with a .375 average. In his research, Hornbaker has dug out Jackson’s personal point of view of the scandal that has kept Shoeless Joe out of the Hall of Fame.
Here’s an excerpt from Fall from Grace:
“The commotion surrounding the ‘Black Sox’ scandal grew to epic proportions, and within the span of a day, Joe Jackson had become one of the most infamous people in the country. Showered with attention, he remained fearful for his life, as the threat issued by teammate Swede Rosberg echoed in his head.The criminal gambling elements involved in the 1919 Series fix were probably not thrilled by his confession either, even though he didn’t know enough about them to properly disclose their identities or any incriminating information. Everything had cascaded downhill so quickly, all stemming from the initial admission by Eddie Cicotte on the morning of September 28, 1920. Within hours, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey issued an indefinite suspension order for the seven active players tied to the controversy. Then at noon, the Cook County Grand Jury issued a true bill (indictment) for each of the same seven men – plus Chick Gandil – for conspiracy to commit an illegal act.”
