WSC Vintage: Joe Jackson

Card #1 - Joe Jackson

The picture on this digital card was taken sometime shortly after the 1917 World Series. The trophies have nothing to do with the World Series though. The larger trophy was won in Boston for throwing a baseball 396 feet, 8 inches, in competition against the best long-distance throwers of the American and National Leagues. Joe broke all existing records for throwing a ball the farthest.

The second, smaller cup was given to Joe for out-batting Ty Cobb in a critical series, which has not been identified. He stopped long enough between trains to pose for this picture, while on his way home.

Since there are few decent releases featuring older players, I have decided to locate the best photos of White Sox players and feature them in a virtual card set. My goal is to avoid using widely seen images and focus on the rare treats that were snapped during a player's time with the White Sox. While most pictures will feature the player in a White Sox uniform, a select few, like this card of Joe Jackson, will be pictured in street clothes with a baseball related item, taken during his tenure with the team.

Hopefully this project will get readers closer to the history of the game and help us preserve the legacy of players, before time washes them completely away. While Joe Jackson doesn't need any help in that department, other players certainly do. Periods of war brought many shortages to the early twentieth century. Many items deemed unnecessary were given a hiatus during this time. No hobby suffered as much as baseball card collecting did during this time. This is why card sets are scarce around this period.

I expect this project to be strung out over several years. If I can produce a card of every White Sox player before 1950, I will be a very happy White Sox fan! If you can help with any images, contact me through e-mail.