Tampa Bay Rays 'Game 162' Painted Baseball Glove
Unique Baseball Glove Art featuring Tampa Bay Rays' 'Game 162' Victory (SOLD)
A special Painted Glove has been completed for a passionate Tampa Bay Rays fan -- baseball art featuring the Rays amazing come from behind victory on the last day of the 2011 season over the New York Yankees -- a dramatic win which put the Rays into the postseason with the A.L. Wild Card.
The client requested that I use their son's baseball glove for the artwork -- a glove with three special autographs: Cal Ripken, Jr., Evan Longoria, and their son's.
Game 162 and the last day of the 2011 season (described brilliantly by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci here ) provides a great baseball moment to create a Painted Glove around.
The collector requested a number of items to be included on the glove in order to help tell the story of the game including mentions of players Dan Johnson, David Price, Longoria, and Rays' manager, Joe Maddon, who directed the team to a September comeback from nine games out.
The story of Game 162 is encapsulated with a design on the back of the glove around the various logos, signatures and available surfaces.
References include the scoreboard and home run orange at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the game took place, the line score from the game, Rays and Yankees logos, and a logo the Rays use to commemorate Game 162.
There are three mini-portraits on the glove; One depicts Longoria after launching his 12th inning game-winning home run, one of all-star pitcher David Price (who had a rough outing in Game 162), and Dan Johnson, who kept the Rays chances alive with a bottom of the ninth homer to tie the game and send it into extra innings.
With Cal Ripken, Jr.'s signature prominently on the glove, it gave an opportunity to mention the excitement from that last night of the 2011 season that came out of Baltimore, where Ripken played his entire career before retiring. The Orioles defeated the Red Sox in dramatic fashion, meaning a Rays win would get them to the postseason.
The client, a big Rays fan from Virginia, has some nice plans for displaying the Painted Glove (with some turf from The Trop!) and just might bring it along on trips to big league ball parks.
It's an exciting honor to be entrusted with such a special glove and to create a custom baseball keepsake that the collector and his family will enjoy for many years.
If you're looking for a special way to celebrate your favorite team, player, or baseball moment (with your own glove or a classic glove), I'd be pleased to hear about it and to discuss how I could create a one-of-a-kind Painted Glove for you. Send an email or call 519-836-5647.