Babe Ruth and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, 1920
Image Source: New York Daily News Archive
Image Subject: The photo is of Comiskey Park on June 16, 1920 before the Yankees vs. White Sox game in which Ruth hit his 18th homer of the season. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson of the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees' Babe Ruth look at one of Babe's home run bats. Ruth will go on to hit 714 home runs and Jackson will be suspended from baseball after the season for his actions during the 1919 World Series.
Fun Fact: Joe Jackson was one of the best players of all time. His lifetime batting average (.356) ranks third behind Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby, and could have been higher but for his ban from baseball just as the "lively ball era" began.
Babe Ruth thought Jackson was the best natural hitter he ever saw and copied his swing.
Jackson hated the nickname he got in his native Greenville, S.C., when blisters once forced him to play in his socks and he still legged out a triple. He felt it painted him as a rube.
Jackson's bat, Black Betsy, auctioned for $577,610. His shoes are in the Hall of Fame, but Jackson isn't.
Painting Detail: Printed on 13” x 19” canvas and painted using Schmincke Mussini and Marshall’s oil paints. Finer details, like pinstripes, were made using Prismacolor pencils.
Acknowledgement: 5 Essential Things About ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson, Chicago Tribune