(LOT 340)
1915 Cracker Jack #103 Joe Jackson PSA 7 NM
CRACKER JACK JACKSON!!! During a chance encounter when Ty Cobb and sports writer Grantland Rice entered Joe Jackson's liquor store, Jackson kept to himself despite knowing his patrons well. "Don't you know me, Joe?" to which Shoeless responded, "Sure, I know you, Ty, but I wasn't sure you wanted to know me. A lot of them don't." Thus was the tragedy of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Growing up in rural South Carolina, poverty forced Joe to help provide for his family, working in mills to the detriment of his education. When Jackson signed his first professional contract in 1908, he signed with an "X". And that lack of education and virtual illiteracy would haunt Joe for decades. But, man could he hit a baseball.

After a dozen highly successful seasons in the big leagues, primarily with Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox, which included a 1917 World Series, Jackson got caught up in the illustrious scheme of "throwing" the 1919 World Series. The heavily favored White Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds in eight games despite Joe leading all hitters with a .375 average with 12 hits and six RBIs. When commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned the eight players indicted in the conspiracy, all of whom were acquitted, Jackson was among those banned from professional baseball and treated as a pariah for years to come. Aside from perhaps Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson is perhaps the greatest hitter to not be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. His .356 career batting average is fourth all-time.

The immortal pose depicts Jackson completing his swing after hitting what is most likely another untouchable line drives with his famous bat "Black Betsy". Crystal-clear clarity and impeccable contrast merit the finest possible accolades; the fire engine red background is virtually flawless, and the entire image is well-centered between four absolutely dazzling white borders. An immaculate central image and four blisteringly sharp corner tips. As a final exclamation point to its sheer superiority, the reverse side jet-black typography is vividly registered against a super clean white surface. Only a few handfuls of PSA specimens have bested this significant gem of the beloved White Sox hitter, substantiating its utmost reverence. One of the finest Joe Jackson cards in existence, it certainly merits serious attention from the hobby's most esteemed collectors, and while we would not expect the most passionate hobbyist to clear their property to build a "Field of Dreams", if you bid strong this exalted Shoeless Joe Cracker Jack will come!

MIN BID $20,000
_