For anyone that has studied baseball history, the story of the Black Sox scandal of 1919 casts a large shadow across Major League Baseball. The incident in which it was discovered that eight players had conspired to throw the World Series for money created not only the creation of the commissioner in Major League Baseball but also placed a rule on every clubhouse door saying that those caught gambling on the game could be barred for life. If you don’t think that is far reaching, just ask Pete Rose.
The players involved were barred from the game by Kenesaw Mountain Landis by putting them on the “ineligible list.” Of all the players in the group, it has been “Shoeless” Joe Jackson that has garnered the most attention as a court acquitted Jackson of taking a $5,000 bribe, yet Landis did not yield to the court’s ruling. Since then, Jackson has been ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
But that could all change on Tuesday, as it is being reported by GlanvilleOnlne that Commissioner Manfred has reviewed Jackson’s case for reinstatement and made a decision. According to the report, it will be announced on Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum Facebook page on Tuesday.
Manfred took office on Jan. 25. A new commissioner incited new energy in Jackson supporters. The following month, [Arlene Marcley, curator of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum]organized an online petition to encourage Manfred to reconsider Jackson. The petition was followed by five letters requesting Jackson's reinstatement.
Jackson has gained near mythical proportions, largely due to Hollywood movies ranging from Eight Men Out to Field Of Dreams. Should Manfred reinstate Jackson, he would not go directly in. The voters of the Baseball Hall of Fame would ultimately make that decision. It should be noted that prior to a rule change Jackson was on the 1936 HOF ballot where he garnered just 0.9% of the vote and the 1946 nominating vote for the Hall where he pulled in slightly better at 1%. The votes, of course, were clouded greatly by the Black Sox scandal on Landis’ ruling that was still recent memory.
Should Manfred reinstate Jackson it will, if nothing else, be a wrong that would be righted. Given that a court found no wrong doing, it seems that Jackson's legacy has suffered far enough.
