T-Bones sign a relative of ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson

Let’s just get this out of the way now: Yes, of course, he wears shoes.

The T-Bones announced that they signed catcher Joe Jackson, and he is indeed related to the former Chicago White Sox great with the “Shoeless” nickname who was later portrayed in at least two movies. The T-Bones said that Jackson is the first person in the family to play professional baseball since his great-great-great-uncle was banned from Major League Baseball for helping the Chicago White Sox throw the 1919 World Series.

In 2014, Jackson told ESPN that he often hears about his famous relative.

“Everyone kids around about it,” Jackson told Jim Caple. “Even umpires kid around about it. Sometimes I tell them about it, and sometimes I don’t. It depends. It’s something I don’t talk about that much. If they really want to know about it, I’ll tell them.”

Jackson, 25, was drafted by the Royals in the final round of the 2010 draft. At the time, Jackson had just graduated from Mauldin (S.C.) High School. However, Jackson didn’t sign with the Royals and went to The Citadel, and he was a fifth-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2013.

In 354 career minor-league games, Jackson batted .278 with 79 doubles, 23 home runs and 199 RBIs. He threw out just 13 of 80 would-be base stealers in that time. He advanced to Class AA last season before being released earlier this year.

The T-Bones open the season at home on May 19 against Lincoln.

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 11:59 AM with the headline "T-Bones sign a relative of ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson."