[the 'stache]

This is an interesting discussion, Jason.

I posted this in the topic I started about Shoeless Joe's cards:

Originally Posted by the 'stache

As far as the hobby is concerned, Shoeless Joe represents a perfect storm of sorts-a great baseball player, an enigmatic man, involvement in one of the most interesting moments in baseball history, and relative scarcity of pre-war collecting options.

I didn't even factor in the popularity of Field of Dreams.

I do think the movie has somewhat inflated his card prices, but to what degree is impossible to ascertain. It's like trying to predict what he might have done as a hitter had he been allowed to continue playing. He could have had a drop off in production, sure. Age typically slows baseball players down in their mid thirties, if not sooner. But if you look at his career stats, 1920 was probably his most complete season as a Major Leaguer. While his stolen base numbers were way down from his peak, he still had the speed necessary to tally 20 triples. He hit .382, and had career highs with 12 home runs and 121 RBI. He was a single base off his career high of 337 when he hit .408 in 1911. And Shoeless Joe, if you believe what was said by his contemporaries, was hardly a typical ball player. Ty Cobb himself called him the "perfect hitter". Walter Johnson said he was the "greatest natural player I've ever seen". So, it's possible that Joe's pure ability might have staved off father time's influence.