0201 - Lester Erwin
Lester Erwin is the former owner of “Black Betsy,” Shoeless Joe Jackson’s most famous bat. As a relative of Joe and Katie Jackson, many of the pieces still in his collection came straight from the source. During our conversation, he referenced a handful of things and people upon which you may want to do more research. Consider this page to be your “liner notes” for the episode so you can follow along.
Me and Mike Miller after recording our interview in the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum
Camperdown Mill
Camperdown Mill opened on the east side of the Reedy River in 1876, and by 1880, it was the second-largest mill in South Carolina, employing 260 workers.
Dope Wagons
Dope wagons were carts laden with snacks and soft drinks that circulated through North and South Carolina and other southern textile mills to provide workers with food and beverages.
Textile Heritage Park
The Greenville Revitalization Corporation unveiled plans for the Textile Heritage Park, a 6-acre mixed-use park to be located on the old Monaghan Mill parking lot. It will feature a walking trail with 12 alcoves dedicated to the history of various Upstate mills.
Renovated Mills in Greenville
Many of the old mills in Greenville are being renovated, including Brandon Mill, seen here, which has been converted into luxury apartments.
Bobby Richardson
South Carolina native Bobby Richardson went on to have a great career with the Yankees. He was an 8-time All-Star, a 5-time Gold Glove Award winner, a 3-time World Series Champion, and in 1960 he became the only player in World Series history to be named World Series MVP despite being on the losing team.
SJJM Grand Opening
Bobby Richardson (right) and Bob Bolin tour the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum at the Grand Opening in 2008. Richardson was one of the keynote speakers at the event, and signed autographs for fans all day.
1983 Carolina High Trojans
Under the leadership of Coach Erwin, the Trojans went 25-1, with their only loss coming in the third game of the season. Lester is in the top row, all the way on the right.
Class 3A State Champions
A victory cigar never tasted so good. Here’s Coach Erwin and his 1983 team celebrating on the field after their State Championship, their 22nd consecutive win to finish the season.
Katie Jackson
Katie Jackson sitting on the steps of her home.
Joe in His Lawn Chair
Joe loved sitting in his front yard to relax, and would watch the neighborhood kids ride their bikes up and down the street, or play with his dog.
Joe and Furman Bisher
Joe sits with famed sports writer Furman Bisher in the summer of 1949. The notes from that visit enabled Bisher to write THIS ARTICLE, which appeared in the October, 1949 issue of Sport Magazine.
At The Gas Station
Joe talking baseball with gas station attendant Joe Worthy while his car is being filled with gas at Garrett's Esso station on Anderson Road in Greenville. Joe was driving a 1940 Packard at the time, which was his favorite of all of his cars.
At The Grocery Store
Joe buying groceries at Christian's Grocery Store, located at 1900 Anderson Road, in Greenville. The clerk in this photo is Fred "Skinny" Powers, who was an excellent athlete in his own right (he lettered in basketball and baseball all four years he attended Wofford College).
Joe Takes A Swing
In the front yard of his home, during the summer of 1949.
Betsy’s Bend
Lester remembers Betsy leaning up against Joe’s desk in the corner of his home office.
Community Member
Joe passes the time with some of his buddies at Hunt's Shell Station in West Greenville. Left to right: L.W. "Scoop" Kelly, "Boogie" Greer, Joe, and Aleck "Mutt" Rollins.
Former Ballplayer
This picture was taken on “Joe Jackson Night,” which was held August 2, 1948 by the people of Brandon Mill. They came together prior to a mill league game to honor Joe. The man holding the radio is Carter "Scoop" Latimer, the sportswriter who gave Joe the nickname "Shoeless.”
Joe At His Liquor Store
Joe and Katie ran a liquor store at 1262 Pendleton Street in Greenville for years. Joe would stand out on the sidewalk in front of the store and talk baseball with any kids who were too young to come inside. Apparently, this little one had a pretty convincing fake ID.
Joe Teaches The Kids How To Play
Joe circa 1944 teaching kids in West Greenville how to play baseball. Joe could always be seen playing ball with the mill kids in West Greenville. Joe would usually pitch for both teams and would play until Katie came to get him for dinner.
Ice Cream For The Kids
Joe giving ice cream to neighborhood kids at Bolts Drugs Store in West Greenville.
Katie Jackson
Katie had an incredibly strong presence, which is how she was able to keep Joe in line all those years.
Family Ties
Left to right: Joe’s brother Jerry, Joe’s wife Katie and Joe, with their niece Patty, and nephew Tommy Ellis. This photo was taken in front of Joe's liquor store.
Business Woman
Katie Jackson behind the counter at Joe Jackson’s Liquor Store in Greenville.
Joe and Betsy
This photo shows Joe on the 1932 Greenville Spinners, holding Black Betsy.
Field of Dreams
Don’t forget to check out the MBH episode with Craig Purcell, tour guide at the Field of Dreams Movie Site, and the episode with artist Andy Brown, both from Season One.
If You Build It…
Lester will come.
Metal Strip
The Spalding Sporting Goods Company repaired Black Betsy when Joe broke it in 1911. This metal piece is thought to have been inserted by them, to either keep the bat straight, or protect it from any further damage.
Joe and Ty Cobb
Ty marvels at the size of Joe’s hands in this photo, as Joe holds three of his thick-handled bats with ease. Thought Joe played with many bats throughout his career, Black Betsy was his favorite.
Betsy & A Friend
Black Betsy (right) and another of Shoeless Joe’s bats are pictured on display at the San Diego Hall of Champions, July 18, 2001.
Game Used Rookie Season Bat
Hillerich & Bradsby Model J13
Another Game Used Bat
A very select few game used bats have surfaced over the years, and not all of those have been verified as authentic.
A Two-Toned Gamer
This bat closely matches the style bat Joe is holding in the photo above with Ty Cobb.
Black Betsy
Lester made the tough decision to put Betsy up for auction. It sold in 2001 via one of the biggest eBay auctions to have ever happened at the time.
Joe Anders
Joe Anders (far right) looks on as his idol, Joe Jackson, teaches the local Brandon Mill baseball players how to properly grip a bat. Anders became close personal friends with Jackson over the years.
Joe Thompson
Joe Thompson grew up in Greenville and knew Joe Jackson personally. He wrote THIS BOOK in 1997.
Lester in New York
I told you if you build it, Lester will come!
THIS is the game Lester saw.
Linthead
“Linthead” was a disparaging nickname for cotton mill workers, sometimes equated with the term “white trash.” It likely came into common usage early in the 20th century, when the growing number of cotton mills and mill workers began to alter the landscape of South Carolina life.
“Linthead” had both a literal and a figurative meaning. A veritable snowstorm of cotton lint in the mills covered workers from head to toe. The term also differentiated mill workers from farmers and townspeople, the other major components of the white population.
The “Black Betsy”
The baseball card created to promote the eBay auction featured a familiar photo of Joe holding Betsy.
Lester’s Office
Lester has a window in his office. But instead of facing his desk so when he’s sitting there, he’d be looking out the window, he positioned himself so he could look up at any time and see this incredible shrine dedicated to Shoeless Joe Jackson. I think I’d have made the same decision.
Christmas Card
This is a Christmas card the Erwins wrote to Katie Jackson back in the 1950s, which she kept. It’s now back in Lester’s possession.
Get Well Card
Another card the Erwins wrote to Katie in the 1950s, this time when Katie was in the hospital. Lester found it inside the box that was pulled from the attic.
Bill of Sale
Joe sold his pool hall and cigar store in Chicago to his friend and former teammate, Lefty Williams, for $1.
Joe’s Bible
Another personal belonging of Joe’s which now belongs to Lester.
Joe’s Rabbit Foot
Joe had a number of superstitions, both in life and in his playing career. This is tangible proof of Joe’s superstitious nature.
Ever wondered why a rabbit’s foot is considered lucky in the first place? Me too. Well, HERE is your answer.
Telegram
This telegram from Joe, dated December 2, 1915, was asking Katie to wire him $50 so he could get home during the off-season.
Passbooks for Katie Jackson
These passbooks allowed free admission to each of the White Sox games for Katie Jackson.
Joe With His Trophy
One of his most prized possessions, Joe won this trophy for throwing a ball 396 feet, 8 inches at a skills competition on September 27, 1917. It was part of a benefit game played in honor of Tim Murnane.
Joe’s Gold Clock
Joe was given this clock by the Cleveland Indians in 1951 when he was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
Shoeless Joe Jackson Society
Lester started the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society, which is devoted to the goal of seeing Joe claim his rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
H. Res. 269
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Joseph Jefferson “Shoeless Joe” Jackson should be appropriately honored for his outstanding baseball accomplishments.
Joe & Gertrude
Joe with his little sister, Gertrude. This photo originally appeared in THIS ARTICLE in the March 1916 issue of Baseball Magazine.
You may recognize the logo of Lester’s Society from the cover of this magazine.
Municipal Stadium
Lester started the Shoeless Joe Jackson Society in hopes of having the baseball stadium in Greenville named for Joe. Instead, the city decided to call it Municipal Stadium.
Meadowbrook Park
Built in 1938, Meadowbrook Park in Greenville was home at different points to the Greenville Spinners, Greenville Braves, Greenville Mets, Greenville Red Sox, and Greenville Rangers. It was renovated after a fire in 1948, and burned to the ground after another fire in 1972. This photo shows Joe in the stands in 1949.
Nolan Ryan
19-year old Nolan Ryan struck out 19 batters on June 11, 1966 against the Spartanburg Phillies - setting a Western Carolinas League record. Ryan went 17-2 with a 2.51 ERA and 272 strikeouts in 183 innings for Greenville that year.
Ted Williams
“When Babe Ruth wanted to model his swing after the perfect swing, it was Jackson he imitated - Jackson, with his big Black Betsy, wailing the tar out of the ball. Hitting for the third highest average in history. Hitting with power. Triples all over the place. The greatest natural hitter of all time is what some say. I think they may be right.”
Katie Jackson
Standing outside.
A Gentleman. A Gentle Man.
This portrait of Joe was taken by the incredibly talented and prolific Louis Van Oeyen in 1910.
Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park
The field where Joe played as a member of the Brandon Mill baseball team.
Brandon Mill
This old aerial photo of Brandon Mill and the surrounding mill community shows the original orientation of the ball field.
Textile Hall
From 1917 to 1962, the five-story building, which was approximately 101 by 235 feet, hosted the Southern Textile Exposition, a trade fair for textile machinery.
The 4,000-seat venue was also used for other purposes, including the annual Southern Piedmont Textile Basketball Tournament.
Grand Opening
June 21, 2008 was the day the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library officially opened to the public.
Joe and Katie’s House
This is what the Jacksons’ old home on Wilburn Street looked like in 2005, before it was moved across town to become the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library.
Joe in the Front Yard
Lester fondly remembers spending time at this house.
Get In Touch With Lester
Write A Letter:
The Shoeless Joe Jackson Society
106 Century Oaks Drive
Easley, SC 29642
Email Lester:
erwinlester@hotmail.com
Shoeless Joe Jackson Statue
The dedication ceremony took place July 13, 2002 in Greenville. The statue has since been moved from its original location, and it now sits right at the entrance of Fluor Field on the West End of Greenville.
Joe and Katie’s Wedding Day
July 19, 1908.
“The popular center fielder of the local team made the greatest home run of his career on Sunday. The home run was made on Cupid’s diamond and the victory was a fair young lady. On Sunday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock Joe was married to Miss Kate Wynn.”
Joe Anders and Joe Jackson
A couple local Greenville kids talking baseball.
Joe In His Yard
Sitting in his favorite lawn chair.
Joe on the Brandon Mill Team in 1903
Joe is standing seventh from the left.
Joe on the Victor Mill Team in 1907
Joe is seated, in the middle row, second from the left.
Joe on the Woodside Mill Team in 1937
Joe was the player/manager for the Woodside Mill team in 1937. Here he is with his younger brother, Jerry, who was the star of that team.
Joe Inspecting His Bat
I wonder what he’s looking for…
Joe And Betsy
This newspaper clipping was found in the Jackson Family Scrapbooks.
The “Black Betsy”
The baseball card created to promote the eBay auction featured some detailed photos of Joe’s famous bat on the back.
Many of the photos that appear on this page, and lots of the research for this interview and these liner notes wouldn’t have been possible without Mike Nola and his incredible website www.blackbetsy.com. If you’ve never been, click the link now.
Some other websites I accessed while doing research for this interview with Lester Erwin:
https://amp.greenvilleonline.com/amp/71478020
https://amp.greenvilleonline.com/amp/92480128
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Betsy
https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=139833
https://www.net54baseball.com/archive/index.php?t-139957.html
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Sports/story?id=99716&page=1
https://www.espn.com/espn/cheat/news/story?id=2958708
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-07-02-0007020056-story,amp.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1998-08-02-1998214175-story.html