Shoeless Joe Jackson's First Game - August 25, 1908

Shoeless Joe Jackson is forever linked to the 1919 Chicago White Sox World Series scandal, but did you know he amassed most of his statistics as a Cleveland Indian and that he debuted in his first Major League game as a Philadelphia Athletic?

On August 25, 1908, Joe Jackson batted cleanup "in a game played in a drizzling rain." He went on to bat .356 for his career and would easily have been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame if not for his association with the 1919 World Series scandal.

This box score is from The Chicago Daily Tribune, 1908.

Ty Cobb's First Game - August 30, 1905

On August 30, 1905, Ty Cobb made his debut for the Detroit Tigers. He played centerfield that day and got a hit (the first of his 4,189), actually doubling in his first official at bat against future Hall of Fame pitcher "Happy Jack" Chesbro of the New York Highlanders. He would go on and bat .240 this season, the lowest of his HOF career. Cobb wasn't liked too much by his baseball peers, perhaps costing him one season's batting title (that's for another story). The statistics change ever so slightly, but Ty Cobb ended up with 4,189 career hits, a record that stood until Pete Rose surpassed it.

Ty Cobb was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936. This box score is from The Philadelphia Record, 1905.