Baseball's Climax
As the World Series starts here's a last look at some favorite baseball art for the NYer
Working for the New Yorker means I get to be both an artist and an illustrator.
Submitting cover sketches on ones own and hoping for a sale is what artists do. Getting an assignment for inside the magazine with a set fee and some art direction is what illustrators do. The cover art above were all notions I submitted dealing with among other things the advent of a pitch clock (top left) or starting a new season with an aging, banged-up team (lower right).
I’m amazed that the cover with the player silhouetted in the ivy of Chicago’s Wrigley Field making a catch was approved. Here’s my very rough submission.
I often annotate my submissions with a description in case the sketch isn’t clear. I also give titles to each submission. If a cover does make it we cover artists submit a list of potential titles. Sometimes the magazine agrees with us.
Here’ some favorite rejects.
Left: “Subway Series”- In 2000 both NY teams, the Yankees and Mets squared off in the World Series. Fans ride a very overcrowded train from Manhattan to Queens.
Right: “Hot Dog with Pickle”- A fan and food vendor align with one team catching a runner in a “pickle”. This may have been too “inside baseball”.
Left: “Caught Between the Lines”- The ball tumbles out of the sky and follows the lines of the manicured grass.
Right: “Opening Day”-The players all bow before the crowd as if on stage.
One of my favorite assignments was a big profile of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and his relationship with various players. No matter how hard I tried I was never able to get Roger Clemens’ likeness (top far left).
For a Roger Angell profile of Yankees star pitcher David Cone and the ups and downs of a big league career.
Two of the stars of the 2001 World Series, NY’s Paul O’Neill and Arizona’s Randy Johnson.
A cover painting that ran inside the magazine instead. It was my way to represent the turmoil in the organization for its then ties to disgraced financier Bernie Madoff. Since a home run has been hit against the Mets I figured maybe one fan of the opposition would be happy so I included myself as the exultant Giants fan celebrating the homer.
While researching photos of fans trying to catch a ball in the stands I found most people are simultaneously trying to catch the ball while falling away in fear. Interesting bit of human nature.
Four World Series winning managers: Jim Leyland, Tony La Russa, Ozzie Guillen and Joe Torre.
Finally, two of my least favorite personalities in baseball-Agent Scott Boras and Alex Rodriguez. It’s cathartic to paint people you like AND don’t.
As always thanks for joining in.
Cheers, Mark