All Stars Dream Scene

The greatest players from throughout the history of baseball gather for a magical meeting at Comiskey Park, Chicago in 1933.

Open Edition, hand signed by the artist – Unframed. 26 x 31 inches.

THE STORY

This is one man’s Dream… come true. A private collector, historian and baseball enthusiast commissioned this 84 x 72 inch canvas as his personal tribute to the game he loves.

It is not a definitive BEST of all time, just HIS favourite players and memories, from a lifetime of following America’s national game, here brought to life in one magical moment.

The moment is July 6th 1933. The place is Comiskey Park in Chicago. The site and time of the first ever All Star Game, then known as the “Midsummer Classic.”

Distilled into this fictional moment are 25 of the greatest players to have ever graced the field.

These greats are gathered around the dugout at Comiskey Park in 1933. The stadium has been faithfully reproduced as it was back then.

Bottom left: Mantle, Griffey Jnr, Mays and Schmidt gather in the foreground to swap stories.

Babe Ruth hangs with Shoeless Joe Jackson (as the Babe said he based his swing on Joe’s – the ultimate compliment). In the dug out (centre) are the heroes of 1941. Joe DiMaggio finally helps Ted Williams take his hat off to the fans!

Honus Wagner smirks stares down Ty Cobb after giving him a fat lip (on behalf of many players from his era). He famously dipped his shoulder as Ty slid into base with spikes up, giving Ty a bloodied lip. In the dugout (at right) Yogi Berra, Stan Musial and Cy Young see the humour in this!

Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente lend support to a tired looking Jackie Robinson, reassuring him that the burden he carried for so many, and the ground that he broke, is both acknowledged and appreciated.

Sitting on the dugout roof, Sandy Koufax nurses an iced left elbow with Greg Maddux and Christy Mathewson. Two express pitchers, Walter “The Big Train” Johnson and Nolan “the Ryan Express” Ryan shake hands on the dug out roof. Just below them in the background seats are myself and the collector deep in discussion about what lies in front of us.

The quiet achievers and record breakers Lou Gehrig, Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jnr, look on at this elite group.

And poor old Pete Rose sits back in the stands disguised as the janitor just to get in on this magical moment.

Famous photographer of the early 1900’s Charles Conlan comes down the steps to set up for a formal portrait. He is giving me a cold stare as I have snuck in early to capture the elite group in an informal moment as they await his arrival.

This painting took 3 years to conceive, paint and deliver across the world, from my studio in Melbourne, Australia to it’s home in the mountain tops south of San Francisco.

Baseball fans… Enjoy.

Original artwork. Oil on Canvas 7ft x 6ft. Private collection. California U.S.A