It’s been nearly 94 years since “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned for life by then-commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and Arlene Marcley, president of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum, thinks it is about time the former outfielder gets his name removed from baseball’s ineligible list.
But here’s the cool thing…Marcley isn’t alone in how she feels about Jackson, and she’s hoping by collecting virtual signatures through an online petition at Change.org, she can change some minds in the commissioner’s office as well.
“Several weeks ago, I decided a petition needed to be circulated – this time through social media,” Marcley told The Hall. “I began my interest in Shoeless Joe in 1997 when I worked for the mayor of Greenville (South Carolina). At the time, a petition to get Joe’s name cleared was circulating in Philadelphia. The petition had found its way to the mayor’s office. From there, I began collecting signatures… I believe I gathered more than 16,000 signatures over several years and eventually mailed them to baseball commissioner Bud Selig. I never heard back from him.”
As you know, Jackson was accused of accepting a $5,000 bribe to misplay fly balls or misfire throws during the 1919 World Series. A year later, a Chicago jury acquitted him of those charges, yet Landis felt there was enough evidence to ban Jackson and seven of his White Sox teammates.
So what’s it going to take to change current commissioner Rob Manfred’s mind?
“I don’t want to set a goal for signatures,” Marcley continued, “but I’m hoping that over the next month we will have high numbers to impress Commissioner Manfred so that he will make a decision about Joe Jackson. He’s the only man on the planet who has the authority to do it.”
Since Landis left the commissioner’s office in 1944, eight other men have held the position. Yet, for some reason, Marcley is optimistic Manfred might just be the one to lift the nearly century-long ban.
“He seems like a breath of fresh air, and I feel confident that he will at least listen to what we have to say,” Marcley said. “The fact that he has publicly stated he is willing to talk to Pete Rose gives me great hope. He also said in an interview with regard to A-Rod, that he believes when a man has served his penalty then he needs to be given another chance. Surely Mr. Manfred cannot ignore the injustice and unfairness heaped on Joe Jackson by Major League Baseball. It is simple. Joe Jackson has been dead for almost 64 years. His banishment is over. It’s time to let him rest in peace.”
You can sign Marcley’s petition by CLICKING HERE.
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