The Rickey
The Rickey
acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10", 2014 (SOLD)
I 2014, I felt moved to make a painting of an old baseball card.
When I was twelve years old, I got into collecting baseball cards with some friends. My older cousin gave me his little collection, which included a Rickey Henderson rookie card.
Rickey was one of the best to ever play the game, dominating as a base-stealer. I was so angry when my Yankees traded him to the Oakland A’s in 1989. Later, I would move to San Francisco and become an A’s fan and get to see Rickey play again at dollar dog nights in Oakland. Even as he aged, he would find ways to get on base way more than most players.
Rickey avoided retirement as long as he could. He ended his professional playing career with the San Diego Sea Dawgs - The Rickey don’t stop. I can relate to that.
As much as I appreciated Rickey as a player, this card was an opportunity for my tween self. I brought it to the monthly card show in the basement of the local motel and sold it to one of the the vendors there for for $125.
I used that money to buy my first starter set of acrylic paints and the aluminum easel I still use to this day.
I’m fortunate to have attended schools with robust art programs. My middle school art teacher, Dr. Healy, would let me stay after school to practice in the art room. I continued art classes in high school with Dr. Richard Schreiner. In that East Meadow High School art room, I got to see the artworks of other students. There was one student in the grade ahead of me who clearly had a knack for painting. Andy Friedman’s art was natural and clever then, and continues to look effortlessly wonderful toady.
Fast forward a few decades and I get a gift in the mail from a different cousin: a “DB Card Drop East Meadow Edition” with a Andy Friedman painting of that same Rickey Henderson as published by Topps as part of their “spotlight” collaboration.
Spotlight by Andy Friedman of Rickey Henderson
Spotlight by Andy Friedman of Rickey Henderson (back of card)