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1923 Kenesaw Mountain Landis Signed Letter to "Shoeless Joe" Jackson Denying Reinstatement....
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Description
The Commissioner cruelly defends Black Sox banishment...
1923 Kenesaw Mountain Landis Signed Letter to "Shoeless Joe"
Jackson Denying Reinstatement. It took the greatest scandal in
the history of our National Pastime to redefine Joe Jackson. He had
been, for the last full decade of the Dead Ball Era, simply the
greatest hitter on the planet, a distinction assigned to him by
those best able to do so, the men who aspired to the title
themselves. But where legends like Cobb and Williams turned a
scientific eye to the process, deconstructing that fragment of a
second that separates success from failure into parts far too small
for the mere mortal to see, Jackson's approach was far less
cerebral. An illiterate child laborer from the rural South, he was
the prototypical "natural," the beneficiary of a gift from God that
would be invoiced with a debt of ignominy yet to be forgiven.The approaching centennial of the Black Sox' banishment has done little to quiet the debate over culpability, and compelling evidence of Jackson's innocence survives in his World Series stat line. Clearly the passage of a hundred years has eliminated any hope for a definitive answer, a fact which then begs what is arguably the more pertinent question--is the game improved by this unyielding fidelity to Judge Landis' grudge?
Of course there are those who would argue that Jackson's athletic immortality is bolstered by his banishment, and clearly his position atop the the baseball collectibles market owes a debt, in practical terms at a minimum. A player of his stature would have been assured both Hall of Fame induction and the kind of ambassadorial role that would result in Old Timer Game appearances, coaching appointments and product endorsements of the sort that populates the hobby with autographs and relics from Ruth, Cobb and Wagner. For Shoeless Joe, the pickings are painfully thin.
Presented is a relic that cuts to the very heart of the the Black Sox scandal, a letter sent to Jackson by Commissioner Landis informing the troubled legend that his request for reinstatement has been denied. Landis is particularly heartless in the manner in which he delivers this news, explaining that the functionally illiterate outfielder had failed to sign the letter personally--surely his wife signed in his place---thus rendering the content of Jackson's message obsolete.
Of course, this explanation is belied by the fact that none of the Eight Men Out have been forgiven to this day, meaning that it was not a bad autograph but rather bad faith that compelled Landis to kick a downed man. His own black fountain autograph is 9/10 at the bottom of this single typed page (11x8.5") on "Baseball" letterhead. Only original mailing folds are to be referenced in a condition report. Full LOA from PSA/DNA.
Auction Info
2020 August 29 - 30 Summer Platinum Night Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction - Dallas #50029 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
August, 2020
29th-30th
Saturday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 14
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,323
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20% of the successful bid per lot.
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