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Joe, where’d you go?! Let’s see your playing days Joe Jackson cards / photos / items.

According to PSA, SGC and Beckett Grading POP Reports, Joe Jackson has some of the most scarce cards (or omitted appearances therein) for a player of his caliber or popularity during the MLB’s infancy in the early 1900’s.

Honus Wagner had 64+ playing days card issues/appearances from 1897 through 1916 (14 of which were from 1897 through 1908, leaving 50+ in the 8 years from 1909 through 1916).

Joe Jackson’s playing days card/photo issues/appearances in the 14 years of 1907 through 1920 total only….44+!

Thus, Joe Jackson was in 35%+ fewer the # of card issues/appearances compared to Wagner.

Moreover, according to Graded POP reports:

Wagner has 2,667+ graded playing days cards.
Jackson only has….1,484+ graded playing days cards, total!

Why is Jackson missing from some of the most important pre-war sets (1909 T206; 1909 E92, 95, 101, 102; 1910 E90-2, 93, 103 , 104, 105, 125, 286; 1910 PC796; 1910 W-UNC; 1911 M110, etc.)?

In 1908 and 1909, Jackson only played 5 games for the Athletics and batted .130 and .176, respectively, yet made the 1909 E90-1 American Caramel card. In 1910, Jackson joined Cleveland, played in only 20 games and batted .387 (3rd highest in his 13 years of pro ball)! Did his lackluster 1908 and 1909 seasons keep Jackson out of major sets in 1909 and 1910? During this time period, Wagner was in 28+ card issues/appearances. Jackson was in only 1! 1909 E90-1.

Then in 1911 Jackson first appeared in a Cleveland uniform in the iconic 1909-1913 M101-2 Sporting News Supplements issue (which Jackson shared with Inaugural 1st class MLB HOFers Wagner, Cobb, Mathewson and Johnson, in addition to Young and more!). Important to note is that Jackson’s M101-2 issue was distributed on March 23, 1911. This means his fielding image from that issue would have been captured at one of the 20 games he played during his 1st season with Cleveland in 1910. Following this appearance, Jackson was in 26+ card issues/appearances during the 9 years from 1912 through 1920. Of this, Jackson was in 22+ card issues/appearances during the 5 years from 1912 through 1916. Comparatively, Wagner was in 17+ card issues/appearances during this same time period.

What does this all mean?

First, when was Joe Jackson’s actual Rookie season? Was it 1908 when he played 5 games for the Athletics and landed on the 1909 E90-1 card (181 total graded)? Was it 1910 when he played 20 games for Cleveland and landed on the 1911 M101-2 March 23, 1911 issue of Sporting News Supplements (25 total graded)? Or was it 1911 when he played his first full season of 147 games?

Second, Jackson seems to have yet again been stamped out of baseball history. He was omitted from some of the most iconic and widely collected pre-war sets in 1909 and 1910, thus reducing the total POP of his cards. Yet, Jackson gained traction (and more cards in POP) with National Game, Tom Baker, Cracker Jack, Polo Grounds and 1919-21 W-514 card issues/appearances. Jackson has only 1,484+ graded playing days cards/photos across 44+ issues vs. Wagner with 2,667+ graded playing days cards across 64+ issues!

All in all, Jackson’s mystique and scarcity in both card issues/appearances and total POP continues to fascinate our hobby more than 100 years after his last day in a pro ball White Sox uniform. Was he a victim to really bad timing (card issues and proximity to the Black Sox scandal)? Or is there more to his story than we will ever know? In summary, given his undisputed contributions to baseball, positive influence on young players (e.g. Babe Ruth), and acquittal of the Black Sox scandal, I hope one day the MLB or Congress approves his overdue acceptance into the MLB Hall of Fame. For the time being, our hobby will continue to keep his legacy and memory alive through our tenacious collecting of his scarce cards/photos/items.

For a Graded POP analysis of Jackson’s playing days cards, see Excel below (see later versions for updates as more cards/photos are shared and raised-up).