1938 Joe Jackson Handwritten Letter with Baseball Content - Written and Signed by His Wife

Sold For:

$3,240

Year:

1938

Auction:

2022 Fall

Lot #:

2166

Category:

Autographed Baseballs/Flats/Photos

While it is a known fact that Joe Jackson's wife and/or sister normally responded to all of the autograph requests he received during his post-banishment years, rarely did they take the time to write anything other than a very brief salutation and his name. The offered piece is a fascinating exception and given its extraordinary content, it is virtually certain that the content of this letter was personally dictated by Joe. In this remarkable letter, Jackson is asking what the offer would be for him return to the diamond to manage with an unidentified team. The letter, dated March 14, 1938, from "Greenville, SC," and addressed to a "Mr. R. P. Stewart" of Pennington Gap, Virginia, reads in full:Dear Sir, your letter just received and if you can give me your price you can pay for a Mgr. if it is enough I might be interested if not I can get you one but will have to know what you can pay. I have a brother who is very good also a boy by the name of Harry Bland who is very good. your in thought, Joe Jackson, c/o Jacksons Liquor Store, West Greenville, SC."Both the text and signature have been scripted in blue ink. Mr. R. P. (Perle) Stewart was a prominent local Pennington Gap businessman and ardent baseball fan. According to an article in the October 11, 1942, issue of the Powell Valley News, Stewart, in 1939, donated a large photo collection to the baseball Hall of Fame that included team photos of every club that had won the World Series up until that time. More important, the article goes on to document Stewart's success in reorganizing the Class D Appalachian League in 1937 and in building Leeman Field, which at the time was the largest enclosed baseball field in the world. Leeman Field was home to both the Pennington Lee Bears and Pennington Minors of the Appalachian League. Based upon the content of this letter, Stewart was obviously trying to lure Joe Jackson out of retirement to manage with the local Pennington entry of the Appalachian League. If Jackson had done so (we have no record that he did), he would have had to manage under an alias, as his lifetime ban from baseball prohibited him from being involved in organized ball, at any level. This is certainly one of the most interesting Joe Jackson post-banishment letters we have ever seen and the fact that it is rendered entirely in his wife's hand does not diminish the importance of the content, for the words are those of Jackson himself and reflect his desire to once again be involved with the game of baseball. The letter (8.5 x 11 inches) has one vertical and three horizontal mailing folds, as well as a few small edge tears and minor stains. The lower-left corner is missing and evidence of album removal is on the reverse. In Fair condition overall. Auction LOA from James Spence/JSA. Reserve $200.