One of the most prolific hitters and most controversial figures in Chicago White Sox history has officially been reinstated from Major League Baseball’s permanently ineligible list.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, along with several other previously banned players, including Pete Rose, has been reinstated and is now eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Jackson certainly built a Cooperstown-worthy résumé during his time in a White Sox uniform. Over six seasons in Chicago, he was one of the most dominant hitters of his era, slashing .340/.407/.499. His .340 career batting average remains the highest mark in franchise history.
Jackson also played a key role in helping the White Sox win their second World Series title in 1917, batting .301 with 82 RBIs that season.
Yet, despite his accomplishments on the field, Jackson’s legacy was forever clouded by his alleged involvement in the infamous 1919 “Black Sox” scandal. He and seven teammates were accused of conspiring with gamblers to intentionally lose the World Series, despite being heavy favorites against the Cincinnati Reds.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Jackson’s fellow 1919 “Black Sox” teammates—Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, and Lefty Williams—have also been reinstated. All of the players involved in the infamous game-fixing scandal are now deceased.
Although Jackson hit .375 during that series, drove in six runs, and committed no errors, setting a World Series record with 12 hits, he was banned for life in 1921 by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. The eight players were later acquitted in court, but their bans remained.
Some historians argue Jackson may not have fully understood the implications of what he was agreeing to, citing his illiteracy. In a 1942 interview, Jackson maintained his innocence:
“Regardless of what anybody says, I was innocent of any wrongdoing. I gave baseball all I had. The Supreme Being is the only one to whom I’ve got to answer. If I had been out there booting balls and looking foolish at bat against the Reds, there might have been some grounds for suspicion. I think my record in the 1919 World Series will stand up against that of any other man in that series or any other World Series in all history.”
Now, more than a century later, Jackson’s standing within the game has changed.
“In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served,” Manfred said in a press release. “Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.”
Despite the reinstatement, Jackson’s path to Cooperstown remains uncertain. Induction decisions rest with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and various committees, which may still weigh the historical stain of the scandal when evaluating Jackson’s legacy.
