Auction Item Details
Lot 1824
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Lot 1824
Description: Scarce "Shoeless" Joe Jackson professional model baseball bat c.1919-20 (Player Provenance) (PSA/DNA GU 7) About Joe Jackson, Babe Ruth once remarked, "I copied Jackson's style because I thought he was the greatest hitter I had ever seen, the greatest natural hitter I ever saw. He's the guy who made me a hitter." As Ruth's words illustrate, Joe Jackson was regarded by his peers as one of the greatest pure hitters in the game. During a relatively brief 13 year career, Jackson amassed over 1,700 hits, a .517 slugging percentage, and hit for a lifetime average of .356, which ranks as the third highest in Major League history. Infamously, Joe Jackson was banished from Major League Baseball by Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis along with seven other White Sox players after being implicated in fixing the 1919 World Series. Although the repercussions remain the same, the general consensus along baseball historians is that Jackson in fact did try his best during the 1919 World Series (batting average of .375). Whether or not Joe Jackson merits enshrinement into the National Baseball Hall of Fame is certainly open to debate. The fact that he was one of, if not the greatest pure hitters in the history of the game, is not. Offered is a truly scarce and historic Joe Jackson professional model baseball bat c.1919-20. Louisville Slugger 125 model bat measures 35.75" long and weighs 40.6oz. Very fine evident use is visible throughout including slight grain checking on the back of the barrel from ball contact, ball marks to barrel area, cleat marks, and chipping to the knob area. This particular bat is one of only two such authenticated Joe Jackson pro model Louisville Slugger bats of their type dating to his pre-banishment playing career. The other exemplar originated from the actual vaults of Louisville Slugger (marked J13) having been returned to the factory by Jackson for purpose of using a model for re-ordering. In comparison to the Louisville Slugger vault marked specimen the specifications for the offered bat are nearly identical each measuring 35.5+ and weighing within 1.4 ounces. The offered bat also shares the same finish as the vault marked J13 model as well. The presence of the full name -Joe Jackson+ signature script impression on the barrel of the offered bat is also of significance as the documented pro model bats used by Jackson post banishment (1920) feature only the last name "Jackson" on the barrel. As referenced within the PSA/DNA letter, John Taube's research in conjunction with Louisville Slugger has confirmed that full name -Joe Jackson+ pro model bats were not produced for use after the 1920 banishment date. Although the very specific reasons for this production change are not confirmed it is agreed upon that the reasoning was related to Jackson's banishment from baseball. The origins of the bat are appropriately entrenched within a lifelong "baseball family" tracing its roots within the game over 90 years ago. Jack Bloomfield was a former professional baseball player, coach, and scout for over 50 years. Jack's father, Alfred Bloomfield, played semi-professional baseball from the mid 1910s through the 1920s; he was offered a contract but had to go back and work on the farm. Additionally, Jack's uncles also played baseball semi-professional baseball. Jack's brother was offered a contract with the St. Louis Browns but had to turn it down since he was newly married. Alfred Bloomfield was born in 1895 is Southeastern Missouri. Alfred is well documented within family archived photographs and articles to have played on several semi-professional baseball teams during the mid 1910s period into the 1920s. It was during this time period that Alfred Bloomfield acquired the Joe Jackson bat presented within this auction. Alfred traded a fellow player a new first baseman's mitt along with some money for the Jackson bat which, at the time, was a princely amount. Bloomfield clearly understood the place which Joe Jackson held within the history of the game even after having been banished and as such was willing to part with the un-characteristically high price for the time period. Bloomfield himself relayed to family members that the bat had been acquired directly from Jackson himself by another player while barnstorming against a semi pro team. The bat was retained by Alfred Bloomfield and descended within his family until its current offering by his son, Jack. The very scarcity of this particular Joe Jackson full name professional model bat cannot be overstated numbering as one of two extant. Its impeccable primary source provenance within a lifelong professional baseball family further corroborates the succinct and self-attributable factual information provided by the bat itself. Markings which precisely date to the 1919-20 (combination of 1919-22 C-3B center brand stampings and full name Joe Jackson stampings) era in which Joe Jackson played for the Chicago White Sox and quite possibly again during his post banishment barnstorming games. Furthermore, based on Louisville Slugger factory records we can confirm that Joe Jackson pro model bats were not made available to the general public. Based on the aforementioned conclusions and accompanying provenance we feel confident in ranking the offered bat among the very finest game bats ever offered at public auction. The unique place which Joe Jackson holds within baseball lore coupled with his status as one of the greatest batsman in the history of the game creates a consistently growing demand for related items of significance. Truly incredible baseball artifact of the highest import. Includes extensive full LOA from PSA/DNA (GU7), LOA from Hunt Auctions, and detailed letter of provenance from Jack Bloomfield: EX Estimate upon requestFinal Bid: $526,154.00
Current EST: 05/14/24 10:28:23 PM