Shoeless Summer: The summer of 1923 when Shoeless Joe Jackson played baseball in Americus, Georgia

by John Bell

In the summer of 1923, Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was banned from organized baseball in 1921 for his alleged participation in the 1919 Chicago Black Sox World Series scandal, was signed on to play baseball for the Americus, Georgia semi-pro team of the independent South Georgia league. With the Americus club struggling, Joe Jackson came on board and 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. Shoeless Joe's time in Americus was capped off by leading the team to the league championship at the end of the season. Shoeless Summer, written by Americus native John Bell, tells the fascinating story of Shoeless Joe Jackson's days playing baseball in Americus in 1923. This book features a 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 each had teams in the South Georgia league. Shoeless Summer includes a complete list of players from each team as well as those who played in the major leagues. Baseball fans young and old will enjoy this factual account of one magical summer in a rural, baseball-crazed region on the country. "...He came to Americus, Georgia in 1923 and helped a struggling, hometown baseball team get back on its feet and win the league title from its chief sports rival. None of the fans really cared what he was accused of or what he did or didn't do. All they knew was that he was the greatest ball player they had ever seen, and for a short time, they could call him their own. When Shoeless Joe Jackson left Americus, he left memories of a hero to a small baseball town -- memories of a Shoeless Summer."

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction

140 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice account of the summer Jackson played in Americus, Ga in an independent league after he had been banned from organized baseball. An account of all the games played with some supportive information. the story makes much more sense if you have read some of the many books on Shoeless Joe Jackson.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great research on Joe Jackson's little known, post suspension, minor league continuation of his baseball career.

[The Master · Rating 5 out of 5]

A neat little book that recounts - almost literally - this sliver of time in 1923, when disgraced and outlawed Shoeless Joe Jackson came to town to turn around the fortunes of the local nine.

With very little in the way of description, Bell beings the era to life. He relies heavily on newspaper accounts and boxscores to retell a summer of independent league baseball in Georgia, far away from the big money and scandals of the majors.

As the summer rolls on, players come and go in revolving-door fashion, and fans swarm the ballpark daily for a glimpse of the infamous Black Sox. Jackson himself is elusive. There, but seemingly untouchable. Good gracious baseball brings out the purple prose in me!

Anyway, a sad subject but a good read.