Shoeless Joe Jackson

Born: 7/16/1887 in Pickens County, SC, USA

Died: 12/5/1951 in Greenville, SC, USA

MLB Debut: 1908-08-25 | Final Game: 1920-09-27

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Joseph Walker Jackson

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Biography

Shoeless Joe Jackson was a prominent American baseball player born in 1887, whose career spanned from 1908 until his final game on September 27, 1920. Known for his exceptional hitting ability and powerful presence at the plate, Jackson played primarily as a position player, appearing in 1,332 games over the course of his career. He amassed 1,772 hits, showcasing a remarkable batting average of .356, which places him among the highest in Major League Baseball history. In addition to his hitting prowess, he contributed 54 home runs and drove in 785 runs while also demonstrating speed on the bases with 202 stolen bases. Jackson's playing style was characterized by his natural talent and a distinctive left-handed batting stance, which made him a formidable opponent in the early 20th century. He played during a transformative era in baseball, witnessing the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-friendly environment that would follow. Despite his on-field success, Jackson's legacy became marred by his involvement in the infamous Black Sox Scandal, where he and several teammates were accused of conspiring to fix the 1919 World Series. This controversy led to his ban from baseball, overshadowing an otherwise illustrious career and leaving a lasting impact on the game's history and its approach to integrity.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1332	4981	873	1772	307	168	54	785	202	519	233	0.356	0.423	0.517	0.940	38697.8

Career AVG .356 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — +39.2% above league average.

Career OBP .423 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — +32.0% above league average.

Career SLG .517 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +53.8% above league average.

Career OPS 0.940 vs. league average 0.657 across their career seasons — +43.2% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1908	PHA	AL	5	23	0	3	0	0	0	3	0	0	3	0.130	—	—	—	—	0.0
1909	PHA	AL	5	17	3	3	0	0	0	3	0	1	3	0.176	—	—	—	—	0.0
1910	CLE	AL	20	75	15	29	2	5	1	11	4	8	8	0.387	.249 (+55%)	.317 (+40%)	.326 (+79%)	.644 (+60%)	650.2
1911	CLE	AL	147	571	126	233	45	19	7	83	41	56	42	0.408	.266 (+53%)	.336 (+39%)	.356 (+65%)	.693 (+53%)	5956.1
1912	CLE	AL	154	572	121	226	44	26	3	90	35	54	19	0.395	.268 (+47%)	.335 (+36%)	.358 (+61%)	.694 (+49%)	5564.1
1913	CLE	AL	148	528	109	197	39	17	7	71	26	80	26	0.373	.259 (+44%)	.325 (+41%)	.345 (+59%)	.670 (+51%)	5430.6
1914	CLE	AL	122	453	61	153	22	13	3	53	22	41	34	0.338	.255 (+32%)	.322 (+24%)	.339 (+37%)	.661 (+30%)	2523.2
1915	CLE	AL	83	303	42	99	16	9	3	45	10	28	11	0.327	.250 (+30%)	.318 (+22%)	.332 (+41%)	.651 (+32%)	1598.9
1915	CHW	AL	45	158	21	43	4	5	2	36	6	24	12	0.272	.250 (+9%)	.318 (+19%)	.332 (+20%)	.651 (+19%)	1598.9
1916	CHW	AL	155	592	91	202	40	21	3	78	24	46	25	0.341	.248 (+37%)	.314 (+25%)	.326 (+52%)	.640 (+39%)	4009.2
1917	CHW	AL	146	538	91	162	20	17	5	75	13	57	25	0.301	.248 (+21%)	.312 (+20%)	.323 (+33%)	.635 (+27%)	2663.7
1918	CHW	AL	17	65	9	23	2	2	1	20	3	8	1	0.354	.255 (+39%)	.318 (+33%)	.326 (+51%)	.645 (+42%)	415.9
1919	CHW	AL	139	516	79	181	31	14	7	96	9	60	10	0.351	.262 (+34%)	.322 (+31%)	.347 (+45%)	.670 (+38%)	3913.6
1920	CHW	AL	146	570	105	218	42	20	12	121	9	56	14	0.382	.271 (+41%)	.331 (+34%)	.363 (+62%)	.694 (+49%)	5418.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
14	55	9	19	3	0	1	8	2	2	0.345

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1919	WS	CHA	8	32	5	12	3	0	1	6	1	2	0.375
1917	WS	CHA	6	23	4	7	0	0	0	2	1	0	0.304

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	30	0	284	15	7	12
OF	1289	29	2362	183	100	36

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1908	PHA	OF	5	5	6	1	1	0
1909	PHA	OF	4	4	10	0	2	0
1910	CLE	OF	20	20	40	2	1	1
1911	CLE	OF	147	0	242	32	12	8
1912	CLE	OF	150	0	273	30	16	2
1913	CLE	OF	148	0	211	28	18	5
1914	CLE	OF	119	0	195	13	7	4
1915	CLE	1B	30	0	284	15	7	12
1915	CLE	OF	50	0	68	6	3	0
1915	CHA	OF	45	0	84	6	5	1
1916	CHA	OF	155	0	290	17	8	5
1917	CHA	OF	145	0	341	18	6	4
1918	CHA	OF	17	0	36	1	0	0
1919	CHA	OF	139	0	252	15	9	4
1920	CHA	OF	145	0	314	14	12	2

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
First Base	30
Left Field	565
Center Field	167
Right Field	570

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1919	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1916	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1916	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1914	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1914	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1913	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1913	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1912	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1912	Baseball Magazine All-Star	OF
1911	Baseball Magazine All-Star	RF
1911	Baseball Magazine All-Star	RF