



The inspiration for trying to tell a history of Major League Baseball came from a style of Mexican sculpture called Árbol de la Vida (Tree of Life). They are very beautiful, and should you ever visit Mexico City, I highly recommend visiting the Museo de Arte Popular and Museo Nacional de Antropología where you can see some wonderful examples. (Or you could just google it.) When I first saw a Tree of Life sculpture at the National Museum of Anthropology, I had a vague idea to do some sort of drawing about baseball history based of this style of sculpture. This, two years later, is that drawing.



What I have tried to do is have three people represent each decade. (In later decades, there are four each, and just three representing the 19th century.) I've also tried to represent as many franchise as I could. It would be easy to fill this with Yankee players, but I only wanted a maximum of three players per franchise. Even then there are several franchises without any players represented. And if you think about how to represent the Yankees with just three figures, for example, who would you choose? It's a tough one. Babe Ruth has to be in there. Lou Gehrig, too. But then you have Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, etc etc. I figured that Ruth and Gehrig represented the start of that franchise's great successes. And therefore they also covered the bases that many of their other great players would cover. The one era of Yankeedom that felt different to me is the 70s, so that's why Billy Martin is the third Yankee.



It became more difficult in later years to represent three players per decade and represent all of the expansion teams; that would've meant using 14 figures from the 1960s to 2000s just making sure every team is represented. Doing so would have created a false view of each of those decades. Indeed, would you want the 1990s solely represented by players from the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Devil Rays and Marlins? Instead, and twisting things to fit in my own head, Randy Johnson is there in a Diamondbacks uniform, representing all four of the 1990s expansion teams. And even if there isn't a player from every team, every team is referenced with another element somewhere. There are no Marlins players, for example, but I added part of the home run sculpture at Marlins Park to represent that franchise.



There are no Negro League players because this is a representation of Major League Baseball. I toyed with the idea of including a handful of players from the Negro Leagues, but in the end felt that sticking to Major League Baseball, with its pre-Jackie Robinson flaws, was a better idea.



If that wasn't enough, I wanted it to be fun, too. And if you're still thumping the desk that I've not included your favourite plater, it's a pretty fun exercise to wrap your head around, so try and do it: three players that represent each decade, trying to cover as many franchises as possible. It would be completely possible to do this drawing again and easily fill up my three per decade rule and still miss a lot of great players.



Anyway, for want of a better word, this is art. And I am the artist, and I stand by my choices. I've used a fair amount of words defending myself, though, but that's because I'm English, and didn't grow up with baseball, and I just don't want you the viewer to think that I haven't put in a ton of thought. I've been working on and amending this drawing on and off for two years. I'm glad it's finally finished.



There is a wee bit of guesswork going on with the uniforms of 19th century teams. The Dressed to the Nines



The use of text within the drawing is referencing two things. First, the idea of lovers carving initials on a tree. I have come to love baseball over the past decade, and I'm digitally carving light brown pixels onto dark brown pixels. Second, it's a fairly blatant reference to the work of Howard Finster.



Hopefully, my drawing skills are good enough for you to recognise most of the players and stuff. But here's a list of everything in the picture, starting at bottom left in the 1800s and snaking up the tree to the present day.



John Montgomery Ward, New York Gothams/Giants

The flag of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, representing baseball's roots

King Kelly, Chicago White Stockings

Great Pyramid of Giza, where the Chicago White Stockings visited on their world tour in 1889

Old Hoss Radbourn, Providence Grays



Connie Mack, Philadelphia Athletics

Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers

Honus Wagner, Pittsburgh Pirates

Wrigley Field's win flag

The T206 Honus Wagner card



The flag of Cuba, representing the first Cuban players (Rafael Almeida and Armando Marsans) in the majors in 1911

Addie Joss, Cleveland Bronchos/Naps

The flag of the United States, representing the national anthem being introduced at games

Walter Johnson, Washington Senators

"Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Chicago White Sox

Rogers Hornsby, St. Louis Cardinals

Eddie Grant Memorial at the Polo Grounds

John McGraw, New York Giants



The frieze from Yankee Stadium

Babe Ruth, New York Yankees

Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics

Hank Greenberg, Detroit Tigers

The flag of Mexico, representing Mel Almada, the first Mexican in the majors in 1933

Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees

Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox

The flag of Venezuela representing Alex Carrasquel, the first Venezuelan player in the majors in 1939



Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers

A goat. You know why

The Crosley Field floodlight, the first ballpark to have lights

Stan Musial, St. Louis Cardinals

The flag of Puerto Rico, representing Hiram Bithorn, the first Puerto Rican in the majors in 1942

Willie Mays, New York Giants

The "Infield Back?" and "Yes" and "No" signs from the St. Louis Browns' Grandstand Managers Day

Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs

Warren Spahn, Milwaukee Braves

The flag of the Dominican Republic, representing Ozzie Virgil, the first Dominican in 1956

Mr. Met, New York Mets



Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers

The flag of Japan, for Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player in 1964

Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates

Home Run Apple from Shea Stadium

The HERE flag from Baltimore Memorial Stadium where Frank Robinson hit a home run out of the stadium

A green weenie

Marvin Miller

The flag of Canada, representing the Montreal Expos, the first non-US team in the majors

Hank Aaron, Atlanta Braves

Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds

The Big A from Anaheim Stadium

Billy Martin, New York Yankees



Montreal's Olympic Stadium

San Diego's Famous Chicken

Chalet and beer mug from Milwaukee County Stadium

Nolan Ryan, Houston Astros

Short Stinks banner from RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. unfurled by fans at the last game before the Senators were relocated to Texas by owner Bob Short

Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles Dodgers

Charles O. Finlay's orange baseball

Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies



Rickey Henderson, Oakland Athletics

Bo Jackson, Kansas City Royals

Roberto Alomar, Toronto Blue Jays

A cloud from the ramps at the SkyDome

One of the purple row seats from Coors Field

Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks, with a (live) dove on his head



Bill James

Steve Bartman

Anaheim Angels Rally Monkey

Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants

Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox



Cownose ray, from the Rays Touch Tank at Tropicana Field

Beer and hot dog, just because

The Comiskey Park pinwheels

A Marlin from the home run sculpture at Marlins Park



Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

Bugs (above Albert's head) from game two of the 2007 ALDS at Progressive Field

A King's Court sign from Safeco Field

Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals





The text on the tree, from top to bottom:

My oh my!: Dave Niehaus

9-6-2: The Jeter flip

Mercury symbol: Mercury Mets on Turn Ahead the Clock Night

42: Jackie Robinson's number retired league wide

He is... safe! Safe at the plate: Sean McDonough's call of Sid Bream scoring the winning run in the 1992 NLCS

.649: Montreal Expos' win percentage in 1994

Merci Expos: on the video screen at the Expos' final home game

2,131: Cal Ripken passes Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played

Hits 0 LSD hits 1: Dock Ellis' no-hitter

I donÕt believe what I just saw!: Jack Buck's call of Kirk Gibson's home run

Three and two to Mookie Wilson: Vin Scully calling the game six of the 1986 World Series

61*: Roger Maris breaking the single season home run record

Holy Cow!: Phil Rizzuto's call of above home run

California: baseball moves west

1/8: Eddie Gaedel's number for the St. Louis Browns

The art of fiction is dead: Red Smith writing about Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard 'Round the World

A million butterflies: Vin Scully calling Sandy Koufax's perfect game

If it stays fair...: Carlton Fisk's home run

2,130: Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played

BB and LL: Bustin' Babes and Larrupin' Lous, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig's teams on their 1927 barnstorming tour

Diamond: Who's on first?

No gambling allowed: because no gambling was allowed

But I've got an awful lot to live for: Lou Gehrig's speech

Yes, kid, I'm afraid it is: what Shoeless Joe supposedly said when asked if it was true

8.17.20: Ray Chapman dies.

M.C.B.B: The Philadelphia Athletics' $100,000 infield: Stuffy McInnis, Eddie Collins, Jack Barry and Frank Baker

Jan 28, 1901: American League founded

M.F.W: Moses Fleetwood Walker of the 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings, the first African American to play Major League baseball until Jackie Robinson

Feb 2, 1876: National League founded

Sash: word used in a telegram by Jim Devlin of the Louisville Grays to indicate that he willing to throw a game for money

Tinker to Evers to Chance: From "Baseball's Sad Lexicon," a poem by Franklin Pierce Adams regarding the Chicago Cubs infield turning a double play

Notes: Take Me Out To The Ball Game



And in the background: palm trees for Spring Training, and autumnal trees of the World Series and the end of the season





Craig Robinson

October 2013



Special thanks to Pete, Ted, Eric, and Scott



Prints of this drawing coming soon.



The inspiration for trying to tell a history of Major League Baseball came from a style of Mexican sculpture called Árbol de la Vida (Tree of Life). They are very beautiful, and should you ever visit Mexico City, I highly recommend visiting the Museo de Arte Popular and Museo Nacional de Antropología where you can see some wonderful examples. (Or you could just google it.) When I first saw a Tree of Life sculpture at the National Museum of Anthropology, I had a vague idea to do some sort of drawing about baseball history based of this style of sculpture. This, two years later, is that drawing.What I have tried to do is have three people represent each decade. (In later decades, there are four each, and just three representing the 19th century.) I've also tried to represent as many franchise as I could. It would be easy to fill this with Yankee players, but I only wanted a maximum of three players per franchise. Even then there are several franchises without any players represented. And if you think about how to represent the Yankees with just three figures, for example, who would you choose? It's a tough one. Babe Ruth has to be in there. Lou Gehrig, too. But then you have Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, etc etc. I figured that Ruth and Gehrig represented the start of that franchise's great successes. And therefore they also covered the bases that many of their other great players would cover. The one era of Yankeedom that felt different to me is the 70s, so that's why Billy Martin is the third Yankee.It became more difficult in later years to represent three players per decaderepresent all of the expansion teams; that would've meant using 14 figures from the 1960s to 2000s just making sure every team is represented. Doing so would have created a false view of each of those decades. Indeed, would you want the 1990s solely represented by players from the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Devil Rays and Marlins? Instead, and twisting things to fit in my own head, Randy Johnson is there in a Diamondbacks uniform, representing all four of the 1990s expansion teams. And even if there isn't a player from every team, every team is referenced with another element somewhere. There are no Marlins players, for example, but I added part of the home run sculpture at Marlins Park to represent that franchise.There are no Negro League players because this is a representation of Major League Baseball. I toyed with the idea of including a handful of players from the Negro Leagues, but in the end felt that sticking to Major League Baseball, with its pre-Jackie Robinson flaws, was a better idea.If that wasn't enough, I wanted it to be fun, too. And if you're still thumping the desk that I've not included your favourite plater, it's a pretty fun exercise to wrap your head around, so try and do it: three players that represent each decade, trying to cover as many franchises as possible. It would be completely possible to do this drawing again and easily fill up my three per decade rule and still miss a lot of great players.Anyway, for want of a better word, this is art. And I am the artist, and I stand by my choices. I've used a fair amount of words defending myself, though, but that's because I'm English, and didn't grow up with baseball, and I just don't want you the viewer to think that I haven't put in a ton of thought. I've been working on and amending this drawing on and off for two years. I'm glad it's finally finished.There is a wee bit of guesswork going on with the uniforms of 19th century teams. The Dressed to the Nines uniform database only goes back to 1900, so I sourced as many images as possible, and chose colors from illustrations on cigarette cards for Monte Ward, King Kelly, and Old Hoss Radbourn (or contemporaneous team-mates). I've also had to guess at the colour of John McGraw's cardigan because the only sources I've come across are black and white photos. I decided that because their uniform at the time featured dark blue and red, that the cardigan should have the same colours.The use of text within the drawing is referencing two things. First, the idea of lovers carving initials on a tree. I have come to love baseball over the past decade, and I'm digitally carving light brown pixels onto dark brown pixels. Second, it's a fairly blatant reference to the work of Howard Finster.Hopefully, my drawing skills are good enough for you to recognise most of the players and stuff. But here's a list of everything in the picture, starting at bottom left in the 1800s and snaking up the tree to the present day., New York Gothams/GiantsThe flag of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, representing baseball's roots, Chicago White StockingsGreat Pyramid of Giza, where the Chicago White Stockings visited on their world tour in 1889, Providence Grays, Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh PiratesWrigley Field's win flagThe T206 Honus Wagner cardThe flag of Cuba, representing the first Cuban players (Rafael Almeida and Armando Marsans) in the majors in 1911, Cleveland Bronchos/NapsThe flag of the United States, representing the national anthem being introduced at games, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis CardinalsEddie Grant Memorial at the Polo Grounds, New York GiantsThe frieze from Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit TigersThe flag of Mexico, representing Mel Almada, the first Mexican in the majors in 1933, New York Yankees, Boston Red SoxThe flag of Venezuela representing Alex Carrasquel, the first Venezuelan player in the majors in 1939, Brooklyn DodgersA goat. You know whyThe Crosley Field floodlight, the first ballpark to have lights, St. Louis CardinalsThe flag of Puerto Rico, representing Hiram Bithorn, the first Puerto Rican in the majors in 1942, New York GiantsThe "Infield Back?" and "Yes" and "No" signs from the St. Louis Browns' Grandstand Managers Day, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee BravesThe flag of the Dominican Republic, representing Ozzie Virgil, the first Dominican in 1956, New York Mets, Los Angeles DodgersThe flag of Japan, for Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player in 1964, Pittsburgh PiratesHome Run Apple from Shea StadiumThe HERE flag from Baltimore Memorial Stadium where Frank Robinson hit a home run out of the stadiumA green weenieThe flag of Canada, representing the Montreal Expos, the first non-US team in the majors, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati RedsThe Big A from Anaheim Stadium, New York YankeesMontreal's Olympic StadiumSan Diego'sChalet and beer mug from Milwaukee County Stadium, Houston AstrosShort Stinks banner from RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. unfurled by fans at the last game before the Senators were relocated to Texas by owner Bob Short, Los Angeles DodgersCharles O. Finlay's orange baseball, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue JaysA cloud from the ramps at the SkyDomeOne of the purple row seats from Coors Field, Arizona Diamondbacks, with a (live) dove on his headAnaheim Angels Rally Monkey, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red SoxCownose ray, from the Rays Touch Tank at Tropicana FieldBeer and hot dog, just becauseThe Comiskey Park pinwheelsA Marlin from the home run sculpture at Marlins Park, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis CardinalsBugs (above Albert's head) from game two of the 2007 ALDS at Progressive FieldA King's Court sign from Safeco Field, Washington NationalsThe text on the tree, from top to bottom:: Dave Niehaus: The Jeter flip: Mercury Mets on Turn Ahead the Clock Night: Jackie Robinson's number retired league wide: Sean McDonough's call of Sid Bream scoring the winning run in the 1992 NLCS: Montreal Expos' win percentage in 1994: on the video screen at the Expos' final home game: Cal Ripken passes Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played: Dock Ellis' no-hitter: Jack Buck's call of Kirk Gibson's home run: Vin Scully calling the game six of the 1986 World Series: Roger Maris breaking the single season home run record: Phil Rizzuto's call of above home run: baseball moves west: Eddie Gaedel's number for the St. Louis Browns: Red Smith writing about Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard 'Round the World: Vin Scully calling Sandy Koufax's perfect game: Carlton Fisk's home run: Lou Gehrig's consecutive games playedand: Bustin' Babes and Larrupin' Lous, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig's teams on their 1927 barnstorming tour: Who's on first?: because no gambling was allowed: Lou Gehrig's speech: what Shoeless Joe supposedly said when asked if it was trueRay Chapman dies.: The Philadelphia Athletics' $100,000 infield: Stuffy McInnis, Eddie Collins, Jack Barry and Frank Baker: American League founded: Moses Fleetwood Walker of the 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings, the first African American to play Major League baseball until Jackie Robinson: National League founded: word used in a telegram by Jim Devlin of the Louisville Grays to indicate that he willing to throw a game for money: From "Baseball's Sad Lexicon," a poem by Franklin Pierce Adams regarding the Chicago Cubs infield turning a double play: Take Me Out To The Ball GameAnd in the background: palm trees for Spring Training, and autumnal trees of the World Series and the end of the seasonCraig RobinsonOctober 2013Special thanks to Pete, Ted, Eric, and ScottPrints of this drawing coming soon.