III

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 134

Expressing the sense of the Senate that Joseph Jefferson ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’

Jackson should be appropriately honored for his outstanding baseball

accomplishments.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 1, 1999

Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. THURMOND, and Mr. HOLLINGS) submitted the

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce,

Science, and Transportation

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that Joseph Jefferson

‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson should be appropriately honored

for his outstanding baseball accomplishments.

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT ‘‘SHOELESS JOE’’

3 JACKSON SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR HIS

4 BASEBALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

5 (a) FINDINGS.—The Senate finds the following:

6 (1) In 1919, the infamous ‘‘Black Sox’’ scandal

7 erupted when an employee of a New York gambler

8 allegedly bribed 8 players of the Chicago White Sox,

9 including Joseph Jefferson ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson,
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•SRES 134 IS

1 to throw the first and second games of the 1919

2 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

3 (2) In September 1920, a criminal court acquit4 ted ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson of the charge that he

5 conspired to throw the 1919 World Series.

6 (3) Despite the acquittal, Commissioner Landis

7 banned ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson from playing Major

8 League Baseball for life without conducting any in9 vestigation of Jackson’s alleged activities, issuing a

10 summary punishment that fell far short of due proc11 ess standards.

12 (4) The evidence shows that Jackson did not

13 deliberately misplay during the 1919 World Series in

14 an attempt to make his team lose the World Series.

15 (5) During the 1919 World Series, Jackson’s

16 play was outstanding—his batting average was .375,

17 the highest of any player from either team; he had

18 12 hits, setting a World Series record; he did not

19 commit any errors; and he hit the only home run of

20 the Series.

21 (6) Not only was Jackson’s performance during

22 the 1919 World Series unmatched, but his accom23 plishments throughout his 13-year career in profes24 sional baseball were outstanding as well—he was 1

25 of only 7 Major League Baseball players to ever top
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•SRES 134 IS

1 the coveted mark of a .400 batting average for a

2 season, and he earned a lifetime batting average of

3 .356, the third highest of all time.

4 (7) ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson’s career record

5 clearly makes him one of our Nation’s top baseball

6 players of all time.

7 (8) Because of his lifetime ban from Major

8 League Baseball, ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson has been

9 excluded from consideration for admission to the

10 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

11 (9) ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson passed away in

12 1951, and 80 years have elapsed since the 1919

13 World Series scandal erupted.

14 (10) Recently, Major League Baseball Commis15 sioner Bud Selig took an important first step toward

16 restoring the reputation of ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson

17 by agreeing to investigate whether he was involved

18 in a conspiracy to alter the outcome of the 1919

19 World Series and whether he should be eligible for

20 inclusion in the Major League Baseball Hall of

21 Fame.

22 (11) Courts have exonerated ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’

23 Jackson, the evidence shows that Jackson did not

24 deliberately misplay during the 1919 World Series,

25 and 80 years have passed since the scandal erupted;
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•SRES 134 IS

1 therefore, Major League Baseball should remove the

2 taint upon the memory of ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson

3 and honor his outstanding baseball accomplishments.

4 (b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.—It is the sense of the

5 Senate that Joseph Jefferson ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ Jackson

6 should be appropriately honored for his outstanding base7 ball accomplishments.

Æ