Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Declaration
The concept that I chose was baseball. My reasoning for picking baseball is because that is my favorite sport. As a kid I grew up watching baseball and always played it. Throughout the baseball season I follow everything that goes on that has to do with baseball. Even when the season is over I’m still following any news about anything to do with baseball very closely.
Baseball started back in the 1850’s and was considered as the “national pastime” or “national game”. In the 1890’s African Americans were barred from the actual baseball league so they started their own league called the “Negro League”. Baseball is now considered as Americas past time. It was a sport that in some of the darkest hours of America, it helped citizens forget about 9/11 for just a couple of hours. Baseball is watched all around the world. Many players now a days are coming from the Dominican republic, Spain, Japan, and Mexico, etc. So that shows that it is a global sport.
A few songwriters that have written songs about baseball are, The Dropkick Murphy’s (“Tessie”), The Hold Steady (“Take Me Out To The Ball Game”), and Bob Dylan (“Catfish”.) Some artists that have done paintings for baseball are, Jennifer Ettinger, Charles Fazzino, Graig Kreindler, Edgar J. Brown, and James Fiorento.
6 excerpts:

Visual Imagination
1.“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” by Jack Norworth
Katie Casey was base ball mad.Had the fever and had it bad;Just to root for the home town crew,Ev'ry sou Katie blew.On a Saturday, her young beauCalled to see if she'd like to go,To see a show but Miss Kate said,"No, I'll tell you what you can do."
"Take me out to the ball game,Take me out with the crowd.Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,I don't care if I never get back,Let me root, root, root for the home team,If they don't win it's a shame.For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,At the old ball game."
This relates to my concept because it is about a girl who loves the game of baseball. She tells her friend that she can take her to a ball game.
2.“Centerfield” by John Fogerty
Oh, put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;Put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;Look at me, I can be centerfield.
This song relates to my concept because it is about a young player telling him he wants to play and is ready to play.
3.“Talkin’ Baseball” by Terry Cashman
Well, now it's the 80's,And Brett is the greatest,And Bobby Bonds can play for everyone.Rose is at the Vet,And Rusty again is a Met,And the great Alexander is pitchin' again in Washington.
This song relates to my concept because it is talking about some of the great players that have played baseball.
4.“Joltin’ Joe Dimaggio” by Les Brown
Hello Joe, whatta you know?We need a hit so here I go.Ball one (Yea!)Ball two (Yea!)Strike one (Booo!)Strike two (Kill that umpire!)A case of Wheaties
He started baseball's famous streakThat's got us all aglowHe's just a man and not a freak,Joltin' Joe DiMaggio.
This song is talking about one of the most famous players in baseball. They are talking about Joe Dimaggio and how he holds the record for consecutive games with getting a hit at 56 games.
5.“A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request” by Steve Goodman
By the shore's of old Lake MichiganWhere the "hawk wind" blows so coldAn old Cub fan lay dyingIn his midnight hour that tolledRound his bed, his friends had all gatheredThey knew his time was shortAnd on his head they put this bright blue capFrom his all-time favorite sportHe told them, "Its late and its getting dark in here"And I know its time to goBut before I leave the line-upBoys, there's just one thing I'd like to know
Do they still play the blues in ChicagoWhen baseball season rolls aroundWhen the snow melts away,Do the Cubbies still playIn their ivy-covered burial groundWhen I was a boy they were my pride and joyBut now they only bring fatigueTo the home of the braveThe land of the freeAnd the doormat of the National League
Told his friends "You know the law of averages says:Anything will happen that can"That's what it says"But the last time the Cubs won a National League pennantWas the year we dropped the bomb on Japan"The Cubs made me a criminalSent me down a wayward pathThey stole my youth from me(that's the truth)I'd forsake my teachersTo go sit in the bleachersIn flagrant truancy
and then one thing led to anotherand soon I'd discovered alcohol, gambling, dopefootball, hockey, lacrosse, tennisBut what do you expect,When you raise up a young boy's hopesAnd then just crush 'em like so many paper beer cups.
This song relates to my concept because it is talking about a dying cubs fan. He saw the cubs play when he was younger and loved them all through his life and talked about how they can raise your hopes and then crush them.
6. “Go All The Way” by Eddie Vedder
Don't let anyone say that it's just a gameFor I've seen other teams and it's never the sameWhen you're born in Chicago you're blessed and you're healedThe first time you walk into Wrigley FieldOur heroes wear pinstripesHeroes in blueGive us the chance to feel like heroes tooForever we'll win and if we should loseWe know someday we'll go all the wayYeahSomeday we'll go all the wayWe are one with the CubsWith the Cubs we're in loveYeah, hold our head high as the underdogsWe are not fair-weather but foul-weather fansWe're like brothers in arms in the streets and the standsThere's magic in the ivy and the old scoreboardThe same one I stared at as a kid keeping scoreIn a world full of greed, I could never want moreThan someday we'll go all the wayYeahSomeday we'll go all the waySomeday we'll go all the wayYeahSomeday we'll go all the waySomeday we'll go all the way
This song relates to my concept because it talks about how this cubs fan thinks that the cubs will go to win the world series. Which they haven’t done since 1908 and is the longest world series winless streak in baseball.

Image 20: 1. This is by Graig Kriendler.
2. The title is Sox split doubleheader.
3. Medium unknown.
4. Nationality unknown.

Image 19: This is by James Fiorentino.
2. Title is Verlander.
3. Medium unknown.
4. Nationality is unknown.

Image 18: This is by James Fiorentino.
2. Title is Nomar Garciaparra.
3. Medium unknown.
4. Nationality unknown.

Image 17: This is by James Fiorentino.
2. The title is Ken Griffey Jr.
3. Medium unknown.
4. Nationality unknown.

Image 16: This is by Edgar Brown.
2. The title is Sammy Sosa
3. The medium is acrylic on canvas
4. Nationality unknown.