If you follow the sport of baseball then you’ve probably heard of Shoeless Joe Jackson.  A century’s worth of World Series ago, Shoeless Joe played in his very last game.  His White Sox ended their season on October 9, 1919, with a Game 8 loss (they played best of 9 in those days) to the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 10-5.  Shoeless Joe went 2-for-5 (a double and a home-run).

Shoeless Joe Jackson was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame except for one thing.   Along with seven of his teammates, he was banned from baseball for fixing that last World Series to the benefit of some high-roller gamblers.  His legacy begins there and extends through multiple books and articles chronicling his career and imploring the gatekeepers of Cooperstown to give him a second chance.  And then there’s that movie… Of all the major sports, baseball has by far the most mythical, magical quality – it has become quintessentially American. Although it is a team sport, it depends on individual skills; a game can be won by any one player in a heartbeat.  The iconic fantasy movie Field of Dreams, based on W.P. Kinsella’s 1982 novel Shoeless Joe, beautifully captured the enchanting qualities of America’s game. <continue reading>