(LOT 50)
Outstanding 1916 M101-5 #86 Joe Jackson Blank-Back SGC 5 EX
SHOELESS JOE!!!... The 1919 Black Sox scandal has solidified Joe Jackson's unparalleled legacy for eternity, yet there is so much more to this baseball giant. His batting excellence evident by his .356 lifetime average, the "Shoeless Joe" nickname achieved when he played without shoes due to painful blisters, his renowned "Black Betsy" bat covered in tobacco juice, the classic "Say it Ain't So Joe" phrase blurted out by an admiring youngster as Jackson left the courtroom, and the "Field of Dreams" movie are all bona fide testaments for his immortal standing. Due to his banishment from baseball for allegedly gambling on the 1919 World Series against the Reds, there are very few mainstream baseballs cards of the iconic Jackson. One of his few cardboard issues is Jackson's M101-5 subject distributed in early 1916 by the Chicago based Felix Mendelssohn publishing company. While the Babe Ruth and Jim Thorpe rookies continue to be the most valuable cards in the set, standing virtually right alongside these momentous subjects is the Joe Jackson #86 blank-back subject, presented here in a stellar SGC 5 EX holder. The current SGC census report reveals this grand offering is one of a meager five SGC examples at this mid-grade tier, and of the 11 total SGC encapsulated specimens, only two copies have been graded higher!

Joe Jackson's remarkable hitting prowess was established long before his 1916 M101-5 subject was nationally distributed. After joining Connie Mack's Athletics in 1908, it was clear to Mack that Jackson was not going to flourish in a big city environment, eventually trading this country bumpkin to Cleveland on the heels of only 41 plate appearances in his two short uneventful seasons in Philadelphia. Called up from the minor leagues in 1910, Jackson finally unleashed his unparalleled batting skills with Cleveland, batting a robust .387 the remainder of the season. It all came together for Shoeless Joe from 1911 through 1913, when the prolific batsman posted consecutive uncanny averages of .408, ,395 and .373 respectively. After playing in 83 games with Cleveland in the 1915 campaign, Jackson was shockingly traded to the Chicago White Sox where he finished the year with a .308 batting mark. In his first full 1916 season in the Windy City, Shoeless Joe would not disappoint his ardent Chicago fans by posting a sensational .342 average. Unfortunately for Shoeless Joe, his career was tragically cut short when he was banned from baseball forever for allegedly taking part in throwing the 1919 World Series; yet due to the infamous "Black Sox" scandal his popularity has increased profoundly.

It is for all of these reasons that this M101-5 EX marvel merits the highest hobby accolades, issued at the time when Jackson was regarded as one of baseball's three greatest hitters along with Cobb and Speaker. The overall aesthetics are absolutely superb, starting with the classic Jackson follow-through swinging pose (also utilized on his exalted Cracker Jack subject) depicting fine contrast and definitive focus as Shoeless Joe connects on what is most likely another blistering line drive. The legendary image exhibits atypical fine centering, only slightly favoring the left edge between four off-white borders. No obtrusive creases or surface flaws are evident, with even corner wear accounting for the assessment. It is no secret that this timeless masterpiece continues to realize rising pricing points, with the immense desirability and pricing points of Jackson's M101-5 subject card relentlessly narrowing the value gap with Jackson's E90-1 Rookie and 1914-15 Cracker Jack issues. This notion is substantiated by a similar SGC 5 blank back example fetching $31K in December 2021, and considering the extremely low SGC pop count indicates a paltry 11 total encapsulated copies, the 1916 Joe Jackson M101-5 blank-back specimen may suffice as one of the hobby's best investment opportunities. Yet, equally if not more significant to the pure enthusiast is the sheer joy of capturing a super eye pleasing Joe Jackson Chicago White Sox card issued during his peak playing days!

MIN BID $5,000
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