New Shoeless Joe Jackson Baseball Card Has Shocking History
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As covered at Collectibles OnSI by Dan Gardella, the highly anticipated September 23 release of Bowman Chrome will bring with it long awaited cards of one of baseball's most iconic and collectible players: Shoeless Joe Jackson. As Dan further notes, the Jackson cards will be his first ever to come from a Topps product, a rather astounding fact given that the trading card goliath has been churning out baseball sets for more than 70 years! Still, that one surprise pales in comparison to four others that will leave collectors echoing the famous but apocryphal line of the young fan on the courthouse steps: "Say It Ain't So!"
The "1st Bowman" That Wasn't, Part 1
RELATED: Shoeless Joe Jackson gets Bowman 1st Card
The Jackson card is what's known as a "1st Bowman," a designation normally given to modern prospects rather than retired all-time greats. While the gimmick might baffle or even bother some purists in the collecting community, previous instances of similar 1st Bowman cards, whether Babe Ruth or Roberto Clemente, have largely generated enjoyment, not to mention buzz, around the Hobby.
But then again, is this card really the first Bowman card of Joe Jackson? Believe it or not, the 2015 Bowman Chrome release also included a "1st Bowman" card of Joe Jackson! Sure, the name is a common one as fans of Steppin' Out will quickly note. True, but this Joe Jackson, as the card back notes, was hardly a random Joe Jackson but a relative of the Black Sox anti-hero. Jackson 2.0 even wore the 1917 World Series ring of Jackson 1.0 on the day he signed with the Texas Rangers organization!
The "1st Bowman" That Wasn't, Part 2
Well, what about the real Joe Jackson? Isn't this his first Bowman card? Yes, and no. While modern collectors may best recognize the brand as a Topps imprint that first hit shelves in 1989, vintage collectors know that the history of Bowman baseball cards dates back more than four decades earlier to a small, 48-card release that includes, among other things, rookie cards of Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Warren Spahn. They may also know that the Bowman name owes its origins to Warren Bowman, founder of Philadelphia-based Gum, Inc., in 1927.
While the 1948 Bowman set was the company's first to use the Bowman name, Gum, Inc., had previously issued earlier baseball card sets from 1939-1941 under the Play Ball name. While the 1939 and 1941 sets focused on current players, the 1940 set included several all-time greats among its high numbers. And yes, you guessed it: one of these players was Joe Jackson! Whether or not you count the card as Jackson's "first Bowman," the connection is a fun one.
RELATED: Five Essential Baseball Cards of the 1940s
Yet ANOTHER Bowman Joe Jackson??
When baseball fans think of Joe Jackson, there's a good chance the image they see in their heads is that of actor Ray Liotta, who portrayed the White Sox outfielder in the 1989 Hollywood blockbuster Field of Dreams.
While neither Topps nor Bowman ever made a "Field of Dreams" movie set, Bowman did make a White Sox card of Ray Liotta in 2004. True, it was a different Ray Liotta (no relation!), but heck, who can afford the real Shoeless Joe anyhow!
Even More Mistaken Identity
The final bit of fun with the new Joe Jackson cards coming out next week concerns the image of the famed batsman all decked out in his old-time Philadelphia Athletics attire. (He played for the A's in 1908 and 1909 before his longer and more storied stints with Cleveland and Chicago.)
HEARKEN! We beareth glad tidings: the first official base-ball cards of Joseph Jackson are anon revealed!
— Topps (@Topps) September 17, 2025
This youth of one-and-twenty years hath but newly inscribed a most historic covenant of five and seventy dollars by the month. Some wise scouts whisper he might yet prove… pic.twitter.com/437XsVp7Dr
Though Topps describes the image as "1908-styled" on its social media accounts, baseball historians with a penchant for accuracy might note Jackson's stylish pillbox cap a giveaway to the team's 1909 season. What's more, as noted by Cary Smith, a vintage ball photography sleuth with the Society for American Baseball Research, the Jackson image itself comes from Jackson's 1913 season with Cleveland!
Foibles and fun aside, the real question for any collector lucky enough to land one of these Jackson cards will be whether to keep it or flip it. Meanwhile, the question for Topps is whether we might see the other seven players of the "eight men out" or even better, a 1st Bowman card of Archibald "Moonlight" Graham. You know what they say, Topps: "If you build it..."
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.