"Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player that throws a ballgame; no player that undertakes or promises to throw a ballgame; no player that sits in a conference with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers where the ways and means of throwing games are planned and discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball." Those words were pronounced by Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis in 1921 after a Chicago Grand Jury elected to acquit Joe Jackson and his White Sox teammate who had conspired to throw the 1919 World Series. Landis was a federal judge brought into the game in order to restore faith in the sport which had suffered mightily in the wake of the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal. Joe Jackson confessed to his participation in the scandal during the Grand Jury hearings. Although there are many accounts of the scandal that call into question Jackson's involvement in the scandal the lifetime ban issued by Landis remains in effect today. One newspaper account at the time quotes Jackson as stating, "When a Cincinnati player would bat a ball out in my territory I'd muff it if I could—that is, fail to catch it. But if it would look too much like crooked work to do that I'd be slow and make a throw to the infield that would be short. My work netted the Cincinnati team several runs that they never would have had if we had been playing on the square." While the precise truth may never be established the 1919 World Series scandal ended the MLB career of one of the most revered hitters in the history of the game. Jackson was respected by his peers alike including Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb both of whom felt he was the greatest they had witnessed. Jackson famously attempted to gain MLB reinstatement with no success and was denied through process by Landis himself. On July 16, 1923 Commissioner Landis issued the offered one page tyepwritten letter on Major League Baseball letterhead with content regarding Jackson's plea for reinstatemnt. Landis remarks, in part, "Before I can pass upon your application for reinstatement, it will be necesssary for you to forward to me for consideration, a full statement in detail of your conduct and connection with the arrangement for the "throwing" of the World's Series of 1919. I feel I should say to you that there will be no reinstatement of any player who had any connection therewith." Landis would remain resolute in denying Jackson and the other seven players reinstatement believing it essential to restoring the credibility of the game. The letter is boldly signed in black ink at the bottom by Landis rating 9 out of 10 with light original fold lines visible. Fascinating baseball artifact of the highest significance to one of the most infamous events in the history of American sports. Encapsulated by PSA/DNA (9 MINT) and included full LOA from JSA: NM