Here’s my painting of Mickey Mantle hitting his 535th career home run, an 8th inning blast into the RF upper deck off Denny McLain. The story goes that since it was to be the aging star’s last game in Detroit, Denny and catcher Jim Price telegraphed the pitch for him.

#OTD in 1903, James “Cool Papa” Bell was born in Starkville, MS. Given his nickname by Bill Gatewood, he was anything but ‘cool’ on the diamond, where he was one of the fastest to have ever played. Here’s my painting of him with the Petroleros de Cienfuegos in 1928-29.

Facts.

Been wanting to start a larger painting of this forever—it’s still my favorite image of Andrew. Obviously, he’s best remembered as a magnate, but as a younger man he was one of the best pitchers in the Black leagues. Here’s Rube with the Chicago Union Giants in 1902.

Agreed. My Baseball History is a treasure. If y’all aren’t already, join Dan in his trips through the history of the game.

Here's a painting of Shin Hashido with the Waseda baseball club in 1903, where he was a shortstop, pitcher and team captain. Shin was among the first class of inductees to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

Really great piece by Jack M Silverstein here. Makes some excellent points, for sure.

Sure, I’ll paint “One Wing” Maddox and “Steel Arm” Dickey. Why not?

YEEESSSSS. King shit by Andy Brown.

Never forget.

Happy 71st birthday to George Brett! Here’s my painting of him obliging fans outside Royals Stadium in 1976, based on the work of Ted Spiegel. Given the prominence of the nickname on the jersey, the connection to Lorde, and Brett’s abilities, it’s fitting to title this “Royalty.”

This official portrait of Charles by Jonathan Yeo is the chef’s kiss. Bravo!

Alright, real talk here: How long do we think Lelaina Pierce and Troy Dyer lasted after that final scene? I’m giving it three weeks, max.

Happy 82nd birthday to the great Tony Pérez! One of the most beloved Reds of all time, he drove in run after run after run. Here’s my painting of him with the Big Red Machine, ready to finish up the sweep against the Yankees in the ‘76 World Series.

SVA, son!!

#OTD in 1899, Earle Combs was born in Pebworth, KY. The first great centerfielder for the Yankees, his inside-out swing served him well in the leadoff spot with four pennant winning clubs. Here’s an in-progress painting of him at Yankee Stadium in late September of 1928.

With the NBA Playoffs heating up, it got me thinking about this Bill Russell painting I started a few years back. Would love to jump back on it someday. Maybe Bill Simmons would dig it?

I LOVE painting José Méndez. There’s something about his face that always seems so haunting, and yet ethereal. It’ll be cool to put this next to his 1910 portrait (this being 14 years later), especially since they’re both frontal shots. He would pass away a mere four years later.

Here's my painting of Bill Craver with the Union BBC of Lansingburgh in 1866. A steady hitter and 2nd sacker, he's probably best remembered for his expulsion from the game in 1877 for the Louisville Grays scandal.

#OTD in 1925, Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra was born in St. Louis, MO. Here’s my painting of him with Phil Rizzuto celebrating during a rain-out game against Philadelphia on September 25, 1951. The occasion? The birth of Yogi and Carmen's 2nd son Timothy on the night of the 23rd.