"There Will Always Be Baseball"
I was going through some old books recently and came across two separate oversized baseball hardcovers on the back of my shelf. These books were given to me in 1987 & 1988 on consecutive birthdays from different relatives. I know this because of the inscription written on each book on the inside cover. Both of the tattered books chronicled the history of the game from the late 1800's until the present day - which at the time was current to the late 1980's. I had not opened these books in quite a long time and they jogged my memory a bit. I remembered being a kid, laying on my bedroom floor for hours reading about the players from the 20's and 30's, amazed by the black and white photos while I poured over the statistics from the era. These were my bibles as a kid. There was something godlike about the old players and they're outlandish offensive numbers. Remember this is in the 1980's and pre-steroid era so seeing that somebody had hit .356 with 60 HR's in one season seemed just unbelievable.
Some of the most interesting images in these books were the antique turn-of-the century World Series programs, baseball cards and most importantly fan photos. I loved the "Old Timey" style each one had, giving the viewer the feeling of something elegant. Fans wore suits and bowler hats to games which is a far cry from todays popular garb. It made me think that baseball had been played for what looked like 1000 years prior and because it had so much history already, would probably last forever.
For quite a while I've wanted to design a print that captures baseball from a wider perspective rather than focusing on one team or player. These old books were the inspiration I needed. I wanted an antique-ish, old style looking design celebrating the simple tradition that is baseball. With all the uncertainty going on in the world, retreating to a boyish comfort like baseball felt good. No matter what happens, we always have the upcoming baseball season to offer a distraction and maybe a bit of hope. While this may border on the melodramatic, I thought I would offer the root of the latest design.
It is an open edition 11.5x14 and $25.
I hope everyone likes it!
Another quick note... If your waiting for the Wrigley design, its coming. I know I've said that for a few weeks now, but its stalled in licensing for some reason. I'm planning on sending an email out with a few announcements as soon as it is complete.
Leave a comment