About the Book
In 1921,
Shoeless Joe Jackson was banned for life from organized baseball by commissioner
Kenesaw Mountain Landis for his alleged involvement in the infamous Chicago
Black Sox World Series scandal. Although acquitted in a court of law of
all charges related to the scam to purposely lose the 1919 World Series, Joe
Jackson was never reinstated in baseball. So, he turned to playing
"outlaw" baseball in semi-pro, independent leagues where major league
baseball and the commissioner had no jurisdiction. In July of 1923,
Shoeless Joe signed on with the Americus, Georgia team of the South
Georgia league. With the season almost half way over and the Americus
club not doing well, Joe turned things around not only for the team but the
entire league. There was controversy with his playing at first, but it
soon settled and made way for an astounding run of our national pastime.
The caliber of baseball played in the league stepped up a few notches, and the
fans came from near and far to witness the excitement. Shoeless Joe's time
in Americus was capped off by leading the team to the league championship at the
end of the season.
Americus
native John Bell has written this book that tells the fascinating story of
Shoeless Joe Jackson's days playing baseball in Americus, Georgia during the
summer of 1923. Shoeless Summer features a detailed, day-to-day
chronology of the season with emphasis on the uproar that followed Americus
signing the famed baseball outlaw to play for the team. Statistics and
biographies of each of the Americus players, daily lineups and box scores, and
the only photograph of Shoeless Joe with the Americus team in uniform known to
exist make this a well-rounded piece of baseball history. The cities of
Albany, Americus, Arlington, Bainbridge, Blakely, and Dawson all had teams in
the South Georgia league. Shoeless Summer includes a complete list
of players from each team as well as a list of those who played in the major
leagues. Included as a special feature is a tribute to Mr.
William C. Webb, a man living in Americus, who played on the same team with
Shoeless Joe in 1925 in Waycross, Georgia.
Baseball fans
young and old will enjoy this factual account of one magical summer in a rural,
baseball-crazed region of the country. Thanks for your interest in Shoeless
Summer.
ISBN 09721220409
published by Vabella Publishing. 128 pages, 5.5" x 8.5",
paperback.