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Lot # 79: Heartfelt Letter to Joe Jackson from Cleveland Naps Roommate

Starting Bid: $100.00

Bids: 6 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "2019 Fall Classic",
which ran from 11/3/2019 7:00 PM to
12/6/2019 10:00 PM



An amazing look into the bond between two baseball players. This handwritten, two-page, heartfelt letter from March 7th, 1951 to "Shoeless" Joe Jackson from his former teammate and roommate Bill Steen, was written nine months before Joe's passing. Steen writes about their time together as roommates and what a great ballplayer Joe was. "Joe I often recall in my lonesome moments the good times we had in those days and it makes me feel like I used to be a ballplayer associated with a great one like you. I have seen a lot of the real stars in baseball, and Joe you rate in my estimation as one of the very greatest; man how you could hit that ball. Glad I was not pitching to you when I was up there for my short stay.....Sorry to learn that you have been under the weather; and sincerely hope that when you receive this letter you will be yourself again." Steen goes on to try to persuade Joe to move to California, mentioning that Ty Cobb lives there and "has been very friendly to me." Bill Steen played four years in the majors, teaming with Joe Jackson on the Cleveland Naps. This rare item comes with the original mailing envelope addressed to Jackson. There are two vertical folds and one horizontal.

2019 marks the 100th Anniversary of the most infamous scandal in sports history. The 1919 World Series was the scene of the crime, the culprits were eight members of the Chicago “Black Sox” and the crime was game fixing. Shoeless Joe Jackson and seven other members of the “Black Sox” were subsequently banned from baseball three years later and that ban still stands to this day. On this Anniversary, Lelands is privileged to offer a comprehensive collection of memorabilia related to the 1919 World Series teams including a Joe Jackson PSA certified signed document, 1919 World Series tickets, 1919 White Sox season pass, Type I photos, handwritten letters, autographs and much more. Lelands has devoted an entire category in the 2019 Fall Classic to this collection, so go check out “The Black Sox 100th Anniversary Collection” today!

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