This will get the attention of many collectors. Topps is releasing an official Joe Jackson baseball card for the first time ever…and the opportunity has already arrived.
We’re talking about one of the game’s most legendary and controversial figures finally getting into the spotlight (likely because he’s been reinstated from his lifetime ban, but more on that later).
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Details on Topps’ Historic Joe Jackson Baseball Card
According to Beckett’s Andrew Harner, the card is appearing as a 2025 Bowman Chrome Retrofractor and became available starting September 23. This is especially interesting because the original checklist only called for one Retrofractor this year, featuring Reds Hall of Famer Tony Perez. So, that makes the addition of Jackson a legit surprise.
The card features him in a Philadelphia Athletics uniform, honoring his first team rather than his more famous (infamous?) White Sox tenure. I love that because it pays tribute to where it all began for Shoeless Joe, even if his Chicago years are more well-known.
This is a card release, but it’s also the culmination of decades of debate about Jackson’s place in the game. The fact that Topps is leading the charge with this “First Bowman” issue says plenty about where the hobby and the sport are headed regarding Jackson’s legacy.
Joe Jackson Memorabilia Has Commanded Serious Money at Auction
While Jackson couldn’t appear on licensed cards during his ban, his existing memorabilia has consistently outperformed expectations at auction. His game-used bats have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, with one fetching over $577,000 at a 2001 auction. His signature, which is relatively rare given the era he played in and his early exit from the game, regularly goes for five figures when it’s deemed legit.
Jackson’s 1914 Cracker Jack card, one of his most iconic vintage issues, has sold for over $660,000 in high grades. Even his tobacco cards from the T206 set can bring six figures when in excellent condition. The demand has always been there; it was the supply of new, officially licensed material that was missing. Until now.
From Phenomenal Hitter to Permanent Ban to Redemption
Jackson’s .356 lifetime batting average across 13 seasons put him among the best hitters of his era. He had a pretty absurd four-year stretch from 1911-14 with Cleveland, slashing .381/.449/.550. He played in 571 games, but managed to record 809 total hits (the most in baseball during that stretch) while racking up 150 doubles, 75 triples, and 124 steals.
Then came the Black Sox scandal. Jackson and seven White Sox teammates were banned by Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis following an investigation into game-fixing during the 1919 World Series. Despite hitting .375 with a home run in the matchup, Jackson allegedly knew about the scheme and accepted $5,000, sealing his fate.
He was only 32 at the time, likely robbing him of several more productive years that would’ve cemented his case to get inducted into the Hall of Fame. His final season was 1920, a year in which he slashed .382/.444/.589 with 12 homers, 42 doubles, 20 triples, 121 RBI, and 105 runs scored in 146 games.
This year’s decision by Rob Manfred to remove deceased players from the ineligible list has opened the door for him to potentially get enshrined at Cooperstown. Jackson could be inducted through the Eras Committee by 2028, finally getting the recognition many believe he’s deserved.
What This Means for Collectors and the Hobby
This release could signal a fundamental shift in how baseball views its most complicated historical figures. Topps has already launched a multi-year Hall of Fame chase in 2025 Topps Chrome, and Jackson’s first Bowman could be just the beginning of many new issues.
Whether you’re a vintage enthusiast who’s been collecting Jackson’s pre-ban issues or a modern collector excited about this, Shoeless Joe’s Retrofractor could be one of 2025’s most significant releases. The powerful combo of history, redemption, and cardboard is hard to match.
Source reporting from Andrew Harner at Beckett.com. Additional thoughts/analysis by MLB Daily Dingers.
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