And Now For Something Completely Different

Hall of Famer Goose Goslin patrols right field in Sportsman's Park during the '34 World Series.  All figures by Reviresco.

Sometimes things come along that just completely distract me. I'm not quite as distracted as three month old kitten.  In fact, I usually can stay on task for a good long time.  I had a plan for the summer-15mm Jacobites and 28mm hypothetical war in Mississippi 1797.  Then baseball happened and I was gone.

Yes, I'm sure I've mentioned it before, I love baseball.  I'm a fan of the Seattle Mariners, one of perhaps twelve in the entire area.  I also love baseball games.  Computer games, board games--baseball is really important to me.  Baseball has a rich history and tradition that other sports simply lack.

Pepper Martin bats and Mickey Cochrane catches in the World Series.  Cardinals won 4-3.

I've tried many different baseball games, but the one I enjoy most is called Sherco Grand Slam Baseball Game.  There's lots of things I like about Sherco. It's a great two player game because it allows the team in the field to position their defenders.  It's easy to rate baseball players from history and thus recreate players' best years, or notable World Series teams, or even really terrible teams like the 1930 Phillies (or 2010 Mariners.)  It's a fun game that plays really fast.  Once, I even had the idea to create a Sherco board and teams in miniature.

Right-hander Tommy Bridges pitches as the Tigers take the field .  The game area was on a 36" X 36" flocked mat by Monday Knight Productions.  I painted on the baselines, grid numbers and the infield area. The outfield wall was made from sheet styrene and based on the illustration below by Bill Purdom. 

I made the scoreboard out of wire and sheet styrene.  I did my best to recreate the advertising on the scoreboard and outfield walls.

Yes there is a baseball miniatures equivalent.  Reviresco in beautiful Olympia,WA makes a very serviceable range of baseball miniatures.  I bought some when they first became available and painted them up as the 1934 World Series teams, the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals.  In another one of my crazy adventures I even built the Cardinals' Sportsman's Park as it appeared for the 1946 World Series based on a painting by Bill Purdom.

 In any case, one of my baseball loving friends suggested a Sherco tournament for the rest of my baseball buddies.  We've agreed on a round robin six team tournament for July 16th.  It interrupts my current summer painting projects because it gives me an excuse to make game boards for the Kingdome, Tiger Stadium, and Candlestick park as well as painting up some representational miniatures for the games.  I've decided to paint the 2001 Mariners, and the 1975 Red Sox, two of my favorite teams.  The Baseball Hall of Fame has a wonderful website that provides pics of all baseball uniforms from 1900 to the present called Dressed to the Nines.  Think of it as baseball's online Osprey guide.

These two photos show my fantasy league team, the South Hill Flounders.  Uniforms modeled loosely on the Florida Marlins' teal jerseys.

In any case, this has derailed some of my painting plans for the next couple of weeks.  I already had the baseball figures and this is just an excuse to paint them.  Shouldn't take too long.