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Shoeless Joe Jackson Photo Gallery
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Another Edition of “From the Lighter Side!”:

How Did “Shoeless” Joe Jackson Get His Famous Nickname?

“You shoeless sonofagun you!” –A fan yelling at 20-year old Greenville Spinner outfielder, Joseph Jackson, who was playing that day in his stocking feet.

…And the rest, as they say, is history. The name stuck, and the young outfielder soon became known forevermore to posterity as “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.

(I’ve posted this one before, but I thought it might be fun to take another gander. It will also appear in my forthcoming book, The Best of Baseball History Comes Alive).

One of our readers recently sent me this neat poster of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, in which Joe is depicted swinging a bat in  – you guessed it! – his bare feet. Not only is Joe “Shoeless”…but he’s also “Sockless!”

I guess capitalism was alive and well even back in the 1910s. Here we see Joe “cashing in” on his well-known nickname with an endorsement for Selz Shoes. As the ad says, “When he wears ‘em, Joe Jackson wears Selz shoes;” and then the hilarious subtext, “Make your feet glad,” illustrated with two laughing “glad feet.” In the bottom right, there’s something about “oranges,” and “Jackson, California.” Not sure what all that has to do with shoes or feet, but there must be some connection.

 Joe Jackson began his professional baseball career with the Carolina Association’s Greenville Spinners in 1908. In his first and only year with the Spinners, he hit .350, showed power, and played stellar defense. It was obvious even in these early days that he was destined for stardom.

Jackson once told his own version of how he acquired his famous nickname. It happened during a “mill game” while he was playing with the Spinners. One day he was wearing a pair of ill-fitting new baseball spikes. The fit was so bad, they caused a bad case of blisters on his feet. The next day he was still hobbling around. He hurt so bad he couldn’t even put on his old spikes. The team was short on players, so his manager wanted Jackson in the lineup despite the blisters. He reluctantly agreed to play, but his feet still hurt so much that he had to take his shoes off before batting.

And so he went to the plate in his stocking feet…

As fate would have it, Jackson hit a triple. The bleachers were close to the field, and as he ran for third a fan noticed his socking feet and yelled, “You shoeless sonofagun you!”

Joe Jackson never played in socks again, but the nickname – one of the most famous in all of baseball history – stuck with him for the rest of his life.

After one season with the Spinners, the Philadelphia Athletics bought his contract for $325. He played there one season and was traded to Cleveland. He was a star and fan-favorite in both cities. He was traded to the White Sox in 1915.

Joe Jackson’s Incredible Three-Year Span, 1911-1913

Few realize that Joe Jackson had some truly remarkable years earlier in his career with the Cleveland Naps. His rookie year of 1911 is “off the charts” for a rookie, and his three-season totals from 1911-1913 are arguably one of the best three-year spans in baseball history. Let’s take a look at just what Jackson accomplished:

1911

Joe Jackson’s stats from 1911 would be amazing even if he wasn’t a rookie. He compiled 233 hits, with 126 runs, 45 doubles, 19 triples, 83 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases. His phenomenal .408 batting average set a record for rookies that still stands and we can safely say will never be broken. Incredibly, It was only good enough for second in the league behind Ty Cobb’s .420. It’s still the sixth-highest single-season total since 1901. His .468 on-base percentage led the league, and he posted a .590 slugging average. Truly a remarkable season. 

1912

It’s hard to imagine how one could improve on a season like that, but he came close in 1912. That year Jackson’s batting average “slumped” to.395, but he led the American League in hits (226), triples (26), and total bases (331). He also collected 44 doubles, 90 RBIs, 35 stolen bases, a .458 on-base percentage, and a .579 slugging percentage.

1913

Jackson’s phenomenal run was not finished. The next year, 1913, may have been the best of the three. His 197 hits, 39 doubles, and .551 slugging percentage all led the American League. He hit .373 for the year, with 71 RBIs, 17 triples, 26 stolen bases, 291 total bases, and a .460 on-base percentage. Jackson struck out only 26 times in 623 at-bats. 

Totals from the Three-year Span, 1911-’13

Over this three-year span, from 1911 to 1913, Joe Jackson’s batting average was .392, with an average per year of 218 hits, 118 runs scored, 42 doubles, 21 triples, 81 RBI, 34 stolen bases, and a phenomenal 192 OPS+. It would be hard to come up with a better three-year span.

So today we gladly shine our baseball spotlight on Joe Jackson and one of baseball’s truly great nicknames!

Gary Livacari 

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Gary Livacari 

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