The news about Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson will result in bringing about much verbiage for years to come. Some will always regret Commissioner Robert Manfred’s decision, while others will proclaim that it was long overdue.
None other than Ted Williams thought that Shoeless Joe was innocent of wrongdoing and made a case to have him reinstated before Ted passed away in 2002.
There have been abundant advocates for Pete Rose for many years, and now, with gambling as much a part of our life as our daily bread, more and more officials and fans are committed to the view that he deserves admission into baseball’s national shrine at Cooperstown, N.Y.
Some personal reflections involving the two hitting greats.
First, Shoeless Joe. A native of Pickens County, S. C., he was an uneducated man who worked in a textile factory, a “linthead.” He had no schooling and was functionally illiterate. He could not even sign his own name, and his wife had to forge it.
He overcame that handicap, however, and in 2021, a photo of Joe Jackson with his signature sold for $ 1.47 million. That is, perhaps, the saddest note in his career. He never made much money playing baseball, and his signature made somebody rich.
Williams argues that Shoeless Joe never took the money offered to the eight accused players. Further, Shoeless Joe’s performance in the 1919 World Series was evidence that he was not on the take. He made no errors. He hit the only home run of the series, batting .356, and scored from first base on a single. It is easy to agree with Ted that those stats certainly do not reflect that Joe was trying to help the other team win the World Series.
I first met Pete Rose at the Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky, in the seventies. When baseball season was over, he would drive 80-plus miles from Cincinnati to Keeneland and spend the afternoon at the betting window.
Later, when he was managing the Reds, I would look him up when Cincinnati played at Turner Field. He went to the ballpark early, which was his home away from home. He loved life at the ballpark.
After learning of my affiliation with Georgia, he was always interested in talking football and knew a lot about the Bulldogs. One day, he asked if UGA might be interested in recruiting his son, Petey, to play baseball.
I asked Steve Webber, then Georgia’s coach, if he would be interested in pursuing the matter.
Immediately, Webber asked, “What kind of grades does he have?”
Naturally, I did not know the answer to that.
Webber said, “Well, I can call somebody up in that area and try to find out.”
A few days later, Webber called me, laughing, and offered this report.
“You know, with his daddy’s travel schedule, spring training, and all, the boy misses a lot of classes. Additionally, he dislikes school intensely. My friend said the only thing he likes about school is ‘lunch, baseball, and recess.’”
Pete was never impatient or the least bit arrogant in casual conversation. He was knowledgeable about all sports. He obviously was not a man of letters. His interests were restricted entirely to sports. He did not discuss himself or any of the successes he had enjoyed in a long and productive career in the Big Leagues. He was impressed with Georgia’s success in football and said he enjoyed watching Bulldog games.
One day, he asked a simple question: “Tell me about Vince Dooley. What’s he like?”
I responded by telling him what I appreciated about the Bulldog head coach.
“He is a sound, fundamental coach,” I responded. “He believes the surest and safest way to win is to run the football. He seriously recruits offensive linemen and signs fullbacks who can block. He likes backs who can run the football, but they must also be able to block. He also underscores the kicking game and wants defensive linemen who can dominate. It was the kind of point to be made to fit the question he had asked.”
So, I thought, Pete didn’t say anything for a couple of moments and then came with this comment, “He sure beats the spread a lot.”