Nash: On Antique Roadshow’s Boston baseball history and Shoeless Joe Jackson’s scrapbooks
From SABR member Peter J. Nash at Hauls of Shame on January 9, 2015, with mention of SABR members Arlene Marcley, John Thorn, and Jacob Pomrenke:
In stark contrast to the value of the PBS Boston find is the remarkable lot of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson’s personal scrapbooks that are currently being sold by Lelands and have a current bid just under $10,000. The scrapbooks are described by Lelands founder Josh Evans as the “Dead Sea Scrolls” of baseball memorabilia and the appearance of the long-lost volumes literally dwarfs the PBS find in terms of historic import. The three thick scrapbook volumes were compiled by Jackson and his wife Katie and span from his earliest days in the game to the time of his death.
The scrapbooks surfaced last summer after Lelands issued a million dollar reward for the original Black Sox scandal confessions of “Shoeless” Joe and his “Eight Men Out” teammates. Well known for advertising rewards in the past for Bobby Thomson’s long-lost home run ball , Josh Evans told us, “The consignor saw the reward we ran regarding the Chicago Black Sox confessions. They knew they weren’t going to get a million dollars, but it should be a great deal of money for the three scrapbooks. These could be the most (important) scrapbooks ever discovered.” When asked what separates these volumes from other great hobby finds of his career Evans responded, “He (Jackson) transcends the game as a subject of books, movies, television and of all media. He is a piece of the fabric of American folklore along with Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth, as the tragic figure of the bunch. He is baseball’s American tragedy whose role will be debated long after we are gone. And these scrapbooks are a window into his soul.”
Read the full article here: http://haulsofshame.com/blog/?p=35725
Originally published: January 9, 2015. Last Updated: January 9, 2015.