Shoeless Joe Jackson Batting Title 1912

Lore & Background

Jackson played for three major-league teams during his 12-year career, primarily in left field. He spent 1908–1909 as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics and 1910 with the minor league New Orleans Pelicans before joining the Cleveland Naps at the end of the 1910 season. He remained in Cleveland until early in the 1915 season; he then played for the White Sox through 1920. In 1912, Jackson won the batting title while playing for the Cleveland Naps.

In Their Own Story

The sun dipped low over Comiskey Park, casting long shadows across the dirt infield. Jackson stepped into the batter's box, adjusting his cap as the pitcher wound up. The crowd hushed, sensing the rhythm of a man who knew where the ball would land before it left the hand. With a sharp crack of wood against leather, he sent a line drive screaming toward right field, another step closer to the crown.

Reader's Guide

Jackson holds the now Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox franchise records for triples in a season and career batting average. In 1999, he ranked number 35 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. The fans voted him as the 12th-best outfielder of all time.

Did You Know?

• Jackson's .408 batting average in 1911 is a single-season record for a rookie that still stands.
• Jackson set a World Series record with 12 base hits in the 1919 World Series.
• Babe Ruth said that he modeled his hitting method after Jackson's.