'Shoeless' Joe's relative catches for Citadel

Shoeless Joe at The Citadel

By: Brendan Clark | AP
Published: May 19, 2011
Updated: May 19, 2011 - 4:26 PM

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Citadel catcher Joe Jackson says he laughs these days when fans ask him to take his shoes off.

Jackson is the great-great-great nephew of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. The younger Jackson is finishing up his freshman year with the Bulldogs, hoping to live up to his long-ago relative's on-field baseball legacy.

Jackson stands third on the Bulldogs with a .313 average and wants to play in the major leagues after school. Jackson became aware of his famous relative in grammar school when he did a book report on "Shoeless Joe." As he grew, Jackson delved in the player's involvement with the 1919 Chicago "Black Sox" scandal to throw the World Series.

The 19-year-old Jackson says his uncle "Shoeless Joe" may have been duped by conspirators.