This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2018
Joe Jackson played for factory teams and semipro clubs until 1908, when Greenville obtained a franchise in the Carolina Association, a new Class D league on the lowest level of Organized Baseball. He signed a contract with the Greenville Spinners for $75 a month. Jackson, who was making about $45 a month between working at the mill and playing ball, reportedly told manager Tom Stouch, “I’ll play my head off for $75 a month.” Although Jackson later learned to trace his own name, he signed his first professional contract with an “X.” The strong, agile 19-year-old quickly became the biggest star in the Carolina Association, leading the league with a .346 average, making phenomenal throws and catches in center field, and serving as mop-up pitcher. A reporter for the Greenville News tagged him with his nickname that season, when Joe played a game in his stocking feet because his new baseball shoes were not yet broken in. For the rest of his life he was known as Shoeless Joe Jackson. He didn’t like his nickname and later told Atlanta reporter Furman Bisher, “I’ve read and heard every kind of yarn imaginable on how I got the name. I never played the outfield barefoot, and that was the only day I ever played in my stockinged feet, but it stuck with me.” In August 1908 Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack bought Jackson’s contract for a reported $900. Joe was reluctant to go north, and Greenville manager Stouch accompanied him on the train ride to Philadelphia. Joe made his first major-league appearance on August 25, and singled in his first trip to the plate. However, Joe was homesick, and three days later he boarded a train back to Greenville. He returned in early September, but Philadelphia, a city of 2 million people, was frightening to the illiterate country boy. Jackson jumped the team once more before the 1908 season ended, finishing his first major-league stint with three hits in 23 at-bats. Jackson bounced between Philadelphia and the minors for the next two years. He won batting titles at Savannah in 1909 and at New Orleans in 1910, but did not hit well in Philadelphia in a 1909 late-season call-up. Joe admired manager Connie Mack but he did not get along with his A’s teammates, many of whom teased him mercilessly about his illiteracy, which he tried to hide, and lack of polish. Mack reluctantly decided that Joe would never succeed in Philadelphia, and traded him to the Cleveland Naps for outfielder Bris Lord and $6,000 in July 1910. In mid-September, at the conclusion of New Orleans’ season, Joe reported to Cleveland. From that point on Joe went on to become the most feared batsman in the game along with the likes of Ty Cobb. Offered is one of the more enticing and attractive copies of Jackson's rookie card that we have offered. Precisely centered with deep bold well focused characteristics that are not often encountered on this pasteboard. The color is astounding with a deep well pixelated lavender acting as the perfect backdrop. Each of the corners show mild to moderate wear with a noticeably superior appearance to the opined grade. The surface is free of all creases and again checks in far superior to the assessed condition. The reverse displays a period stamp that display as "EM1L WOLF" as well as an "E" and a "W" on the sides of the crossed bats on the reverse of the card easily explaining the MK qualifier. A terrific copy that appears far superior to the grade and one that we actually grade VG to nearly VG/EX. A card that should rightfully take its place in the finest of collections.