Getting the Record Straight Shoeless Joe Jackson Military service

[yanks12025]

LOL Huggins and Scott even lists "Bump on chin and nose are a match".

[baseball tourist]

The OP seems to have a terminal case of "wishful thinking". Hoping that items of a generic sort are actually associated with big names (teams or players). I wish the OP best of luck but it is getting a tad tiresome:

- "Schalk" Sox pants - generic any team pants
- Crescent glove - softball glove
- Boston Americans photo.....not
- Amos R. Photo....not

[Lordstan]

This is weird. The OP links to a SABR bio of Jackson, but even this reference refutes his claim about Jackson.

From the linked SABR reference

"The White Sox were rocked by the entry of the United States into World War I. Several Chicago players enlisted in the military, while others were drafted in the early months of 1918. Joe, as a married man, was granted a deferment by his hometown draft board in Greenville, South Carolina, but after Jackson played 17 games with the White Sox the board reversed its decision and ordered him to report for induction. Instead, Jackson found employment at a Delaware shipyard, where he helped build battleships and played ball in a hastily assembled factory circuit, the Bethlehem Steel League. Jackson was the first prominent player to avoid the draft by opting for war work, for which he was severely criticized in the sporting press, especially in Chicago. He won the factory league batting title with a .371 average, but the controversy permanently damaged his relationships with the Chicago sportswriters."

Notice, it doesn't say he worked for or was a member of the Army or Armed Forces. It states that instead of the military, he got a job at a Delaware shipyard.

Seems pretty clear that he was not in the military, so he wouldn't be in that photo.

[Nashvol]

The SHOUTING isn't very convincing, either...

[EVAJOY91]

Much research went into this photograph. Other photos were used. 1917, 1918 and 1919 photos were matched with this one. Bump on chin, exact on all photos matched to this photo. Nose and eyebrows are a match. Similar side burns and shape of face. Answering your question on his service in the military. I ask you a question: Joe jackson started the season playing ball for the chicago white sox, . After 17 games he decided to take a less paying job for the us government building battleships that he was under qualified to do so. Would you not call this military service that he was instructed to do? It certainly was not voluntary. I would call this as service for the us military during ww i! Wouldn't you?

[mcgwirecom]

I was just looking at the photos. The man on the left has and indentation in the outside shape of his ear. the man on the right does not.

[Econteachert205]

Originally Posted by mcgwirecom

I was just looking at the photos. The man on the left has and indentation in the outside shape of his ear. the man on the right does not.

Nice catch on the ear. Still would love to see Marlowe dissect too. I learned a ton from his previous works here.

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by EVAJOY91

I ask you a question: Joe jackson started the season playing ball for the chicago white sox, . After 17 games he decided to take a less paying job for the us government building battleships that he was under qualified to do so. Would you not call this military service that he was instructed to do? It certainly was not voluntary. I would call this as service for the us military during ww i! Wouldn't you?

No. I would not call that military service. Plenty of people work for companies that have government contracts. Companies like Boeing or Grumman are perfect examples. The people who are employed by these companies work for a PRIVATE company. The only relationship the individual has to the government is that the things they make are sold to it. This is not now, nor has it ever been, considered military service. Joe Jackson worked for a privately owned shipbuilder who sold their products to the US military. That's it. He was never a soldier, so has no reason to be and should not be in a soldier's uniform, especially in a formal photo like this one.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by yanks12025

LOL Huggins and Scott even lists "Bump on chin and nose are a match".

...and none of it is a match. I have a mole on my chin, but that doesn't make my chin a match with someone else who has a mole on theirs.

We have had so many of these "I wish this was [insert famous baseball player name here]" threads that none of it generally surprises me, but the auction houses should know better. I've never understood why the big auction houses don't hire someone like one of us, to simply go over items before they end up in their catalog (online or hard-copy), and throw up a red flag for things like this. It's not just H&S - you see these kind of things from most of the AH's.

[Econteachert205]

Jaw doesn't look close to me.

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by Runscott

...and none of it is a match. I have a mole on my chin, but that doesn't make my chin a match with someone else who has a mole on theirs.

We have had so many of these "I wish this was [insert famous baseball player name here]" threads that none of it generally surprises me, but the auction houses should know better. I've never understood why the big auction houses don't hire someone like one of us, to simply go over items before they end up in their catalog (online or hard-copy), and throw up a red flag for things like this. It's not just H&S - you see these kind of things from most of the AH's.

Agreed.