Quote:
Originally Posted by slipk1068
I read somewhere that Connie Mack knew exactly what he had in Joe Jackson. He basically gave him away as a gift to Charles Somers, owner of the Cleveland Naps.
Without Somers support, the American League would have folded in its early years. Around 1910, Somers was struggling financially, so Connie Mack sent him Joe Jackson as a gift. There should probably be a Charles Somers monument in every American League ballpark 
I don't remember where I read this, but I believe it was Connie Mack's own words. Maybe someone else can confirm this? |
David
With all due respect to you, I cannot buy this bit regarding the American League folding. In the first decade of the 20th Century, the American League under the command
of Ban Johnson outdrew the National League in attendance by wide margins.
For example, check out these headlines of Opening Day at Shibe Park (April 12 1909) in Philadelphia..........................
Shoeless Joe Jackson's performance with Greenville (.346) in 1908, and Savannah (.358) in 1909 impressed Connie Mack. However, Joe Jax just couldn't "hack" it playing
with the College bred guys on the A's. In part, because some of them were not too kind to this "rebel rookie" who they considered "illiterate".
Believe it or not....some were still "fighting the Civil War in the beginning of the 20th Century. You can check-out this fact....during the T206 era there were very few Major
Leaguers that hailed from the "Deep South" (SC, GA, ALA, Miss). Of course, Ty Cobb was one, and therein lies a lot of his problems.
Connie Mack saw a chance to recover Bristol Lord from the Cleveland Naps, so he traded away Joe Jax. Very quickly, Joe's Cleveland teammates took a liking to him and his
performance reflected this as he batted .408 in 1911.
That's the story, as I understand it.
TED Z
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