|
Biography
Joseph Jefferson Wofford Jackson was born on July 16,
1888 in Pickins County, South Carolina. His father was a
cotton mill worker and he was the oldest of eight children.
Instead of going to a school he worked in a cotton mill at
the age of 13 and played baseball on the side. His
outstanding baseball skills launched him into the minor
leagues at the young age of 18. He got his nickname during a
game when he removed his uncomfortable new spikes and played
the rest of the game in his stocking feet.
Jackson played in the Majors for 12 years between 1908
and 1920. He started out with the Philadelphia Athletics but
was soon traded to the Cleveland Indians. In 1915 he was
acquired by the Chicago White Sox, with whom he finished his
career.
Jackson is probably best known for the controversy
surrounding 1919 World Series. During this time, the players
were payed next to nothing while the owners kept the
profits. For example, Jackson got a mere 6,000 dollars per
year. Players were often tempted to take bribes from
gamblers to supplement their salaries. During the 1919 World
Series, eight players, including Jackson, were offered
$10000 each to lose the championship deliberately. The
players involved played miserably and eventually lost the
series. However, Joe Jackson got 12 hits and batted .375 for
the series. The incident was taken to trial and the players
were aquitted. However, the commissioner of the league,
Kenesaw Landis, banned all eight players from the game.
There are several theories surrounding this. Most
probably, Jackson kept the money and played to the best of
his ability. This scandal caused him to lose his rightful
place in Cooperstown.
|