Who said "Say it ain't so, Joe!" and what became of him?

Answer 1

First off, the kid never said, "Say it ain't so, Joe."

It was a kid outside the courthouse grand jury room, not a kid hawking papers. What the kid actually said was, "It ain't true, is it, Joe?" but it's mutated over time into "Say it ain't so." In reply, Jackson apparently said, "I'm afraid it is, kid."

I don't think anyone has ever known the identity of the young man who skipped school to confront Jackson.

Answer 2

Jackson himself said that this never happened.

The phrase "Say it ain't so, Joe! Say it ain't so!" is based on a young fan's comment to Jackson at the conclusion of the Black Sox scandal (possibly apocryphal). Jackson denied that there was any such incident, and only one of the many films of him leaving the courthouse depict such a scene (The 1988 film Eight Men Out).[citation needed]

Answer 3

Legend has it that is what a kid hawking newspapers said to shoeless Joe Jackson when the black sox scandal of 1919 broke.

Answer 4

This is just another example of how the press fabricates, embellishes and/or creates stories of interest to sell media. Somebody in the crowd outside that court room made up the story and the jungle ran with it.

Answer 5

The first two answerers are correct. I just want to add and/or confirm that the kids name has never been published. I've been reading about baseball since the mid-1960's and talk to men who have been around longer than me and they don't know his name. I don't think anyone ever knew.

Answer 6

Legend has it that it was a young kid, since this happened in 1920 the kid is either dead or pretty old by now. However this is supposed to be an urban legend

Answer 7

a person outside the court room when they were on trial for fixing the 1919 world series and they got banned from baseball

Answer 8

some kid outside of the court house!

Answer 9

some kid, i don't know if he ever became famous after

Answer 10

some kid, and he probably died...