Should Shoeless Joe Jackson be reinstated by Major League Baseball?

Question

Do you think Jackson should be reinstated and why? Also, do you think he should be in the Hall of Fame?

Answer 1

Let me say this: Shoeless Joe Jackson was an innocent man. I have read books about him, and he:
1. Declined the money offered to him by gamblers, and a teammate came in and threw it on his bed.
2. Told Charles Comisky about it, but he said he didn't care, because Jackson was illiterate.
3. He asked his manager to bench him for the series when all else failed, he wasn't.
4. He went on to have one of the best world Series ever, batting .400, making no errors, and hitting the only Home Run in the Series.

So to answer you question, yes, I do think Joe should be reinstated, because he was one of the best hitters in history. He is the only rookie to hit .400, and he had the 3rd best career average when he was kicked out.

Answer 2

The case remains controversial. Joe Jackson did take money from the gamblers, but there is considerable doubt that he understood what they were up to, and no doubt whatsoever that he did not do anything to "throw" the World Series.

It can still be called either way. Bring him back, and he automatically quailifes for the Hall of Fame given his record. For my part, I think he should be reinstated, along with Buck Weaver, whose only crime was to fail to report that the gamblers had spoken to him (he told them to go to hell).

Answer 3

Absolutely ... the case against him was bogus from the start. He was the only White Sox player who managed any respectable stats at all in the Series.

As for the Hall of Fame, he has the third highest career batting average ever, and was generally considered to be a great defensive player. He should certainly be in the Hall.

Answer 4

Yes. He should be reinstated and be eligible for the Hall of Fame. Regardless of whether or not he took money, or cheated, or even just knew about the fix.

The point is it was a LIFETIME ban. His lifetime is over.

Same goes for Rose.

Your punishment is to not be able to profit from your deeds during your lifetime and to die never knowing whether or not you'll make it into the Hall someday.

Answer 5

Yes, and he should be in the Hall of Fame. He was just an ignorant Georgia farmboy who never took any money during the White Sox/Reds World Series. It was guilt by implication because he knew what was going on. And...Pete Rose should also be in the Hall. He's paid his dues and should be allowed in while he's alive to enjoy the honor.

Answer 6

He played well in the World Series, but the fact remains that he took the gamblers' money and didn't speak up about the fix. I know he was generally considered a rube - not the world's smartest guy - but he should have known better than to take their money, and failing that he should have spoken up.

This case is a sad one, since Jackson is one of my favorite old-time ballplayers. I really don't think he threw the Series, but I can't look past his taking the money. For that reason, I don't think he should be reinstated.

Answer 7

Sorry, but Shoeless Joe Jackson DID take money!! You can look it up. The answer is no! And the same goes for Pete Rose. They had their chance and blew it.

Answer 8

No! His case has been reviewed and re-reviewed countless times over the decades. The fact is he willingly took money and that alone is enough to keep him out of the HOF. The other issue is that this in itself, would open a can of worms when it comes to others who have violated the rules of baseball. Say yes to Jackson and you automatically sanction Pete Rose. Baseball has enough problems to deal at the moment with the steroid issue.

Answer 9

I think Pete Rose has head-of-the-line privileges! Seriously, if he had a full Major League Baseball career (only 1,772 hits) and if you could turn back time and advise him to confess of his knowledge of the "fix", then yeah, by all means. But outside of that - never gonna happen.

After being banned from the majors, Jackson played extensively in semipro leagues in Georgia and South Carolina. In 1929 he and his wife, Katherine, moved to Greenville, South Carolina.

In the 1940s, he was working at his liquor store when former adversary Ty Cobb and sportswriter Grantland Rice entered as customers. Following an impersonal transaction, Cobb asked, "Don't you know me, Joe?" "Sure, I know you, Ty," replied Jackson, "but I wasn't sure you wanted to know me. A lot of them don't." [citation needed]

Joe Jackson suffered from heart trouble in his later years and died in Greenville in 1951 at the age of 63. He is buried in Woodlawn Memorial Park there. Jackson's last words before his death were reportedly "I'm about to face the greatest umpire of all and He knows I am innocent."

Answer 10

Yes. He was banned for life. Shouldn't that make him eligible now that he is dead? Seriously, he will always be known as one of the absolute greatest hitters ever, whether the Hall includes him or not.