Shoeless Joe Jackson’s prized bat, the legendary “Black Betsy,” was 34½ inches long, weighed 40 ounces and was made of hardened hickory. Jackson soaked it in oil to give it a dark finish.

He owns Shoeless Joe Jackson’s famous “Black Betsy” bat that is up for auction Dec. 10, as part of Sotheby’s and SCP Auctions’ sports memorabilia sale. Mitchell, 34, purchased the bat in ...

SAN JOSE — Embedded in the sad story of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson is another legendary tale: that of his beloved bat, “Black Betsy,” which he used throughout his career, even after being ...

He used to call his favorite bat “Black Betsy.” If Jackson were still around today, he might call that 40-ounce piece of lumber “Money Maker,” after it fetched $583,500 at an auction.

Shoeless Joe Jackson’s favorite bat – his prized “Black Betsy” – is about to hit the auction block. The bat, made of hickory and weighing a hefty 40 ounces, will be sold by Sotheby’s ...

With only two minutes of bidding remaining on a 10-day auction on EBay yesterday, a Pennsylvania fan's bid for the legendary "Black Betsy" bat trumped another bidder by $100 as the deadline arrived.

You may know the shoeless part (or the Black Sox scandal, which Phil Bildner addresses directly in a long afterword), but maybe you haven’t heard about Black Betsy, one of Joe Jackson’s ...