Larry Lester Erwin Jr. was born in the Camperdown Mill community of Greenville, South Carolina in 1946. While in high school, he played both basketball and baseball, including three years of American Legion Baseball. He also played four years of baseball at Newberry College, earning a BA in Mathematics and Education.

After starting his teaching and coaching careers at Walhalla High School, Lester earned his Masters of Education from Clemson University. He moved back to Greenville and spent the next 18 years at Carolina High School, teaching and coaching baseball. His teams won their Conference Championship seven times, and won the 3A State Championship in 1983 with a record of 25 wins and 1 loss.

Lester was named Conference Coach of the Year eight times. Finding more time in an already rigorous schedule, he also had two stints coaching the Greenville team as part of the American Legion. He later coached the Taylors team for four years, taking them to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa twice to participate in the Shoeless Joe Jackson National American Legion Baseball Tournament.

During his coaching career Lester had 29 players go on to play college baseball, with four players signing professional contracts. After leaving teaching and coaching, Lester worked twenty years as a District Manager for the Greenville News, retiring from that position in 2017. He is presently working part-time as a salesman for Masstar Signs in Powdersville, a company owned by one of his former players.

Lester's interest in Shoeless Joe Jackson started at an early age. His Mother, Katie, and Joe's wife, Katie, were first cousins. When Lester was a child, his family would often visit the Jacksons, where he would spend a lot of time in Joe's office, or playing outside where Joe and his Dad would be talking. Lester fondly remembers how Joe's famous bat, “Black Betsy”, would always be propped up just inside his office door, leaning against the wall and his desk.

Years later, after Katie Jackson passed away, Lester received Black Betsy, as specified in Katie's will. As a young man, Lester partnered with New Jersey’s Ray Allen to form The Shoeless Joe Jackson Society as a way to promote Joe, to try to clear Joe's name, and to hopefully get him inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1985, they were able to secure legislation from South Carolina and Louisiana urging baseball to clear Joe's name. Black Betsy, as the crowd pleaser, always accompanied Lester on his visits to the US Senate.

In 2001, Lester was approached about selling Black Betsy. After much thought and collaboration with his sons, and with the blessings of several friends who had known Joe, he decided to let it go. Although he no longer owns the bat, he remains a staunch leader in the campaign to get Joe Jackson back in the good graces of Major League Baseball. He hopes Shoeless Joe Jackson’s future holds an eventual election into the Hall of Fame, where Joe rightly belongs.

Lester and his wife, Rita Arms, have been married for 26 years and live in Easley, South Carolina. They have four sons and are proud grandparents to eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They attend Rock Springs Baptist Church, also in Easley. Lester remains as busy today as he’s ever been. His assistance, guidance, support, and gentlemanly demeanor makes him one of our museum’s treasures.

The Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum Board is honored to have Lester on its Advisory Board. As a proud Board Member, Lester’s wish is that the museum become the top-rated and most visited museum in the country. With the museum’s increased hours of operation and Lester’s passion and undying energy to keep pushing forward, we can’t miss.