Something for the Baseball Fan in Your Life

If I had the room I would definitely have a sports shrine dedicated to my favorite teams.  Alas, living in the city kind of limits the amount of wall space I have available.  That’s not a complaint, moving to Chicago definitely outweighs having a shelf of bobbleheads hanging over the desk in my office. That being said I still keep an eye out for random things that would look cool once I do have space again.

I already have a box of posters and autographed 8x10’s that I’ve lugged from Florida to Chicago and plan on framing and hanging once I have a man cave to decorate.  Of course, if anyone is interested in an autographed 8x10 of Corey Schwab I think we can work out a deal.

Along with the basic things to hang on the wall, I’m always looking for something a little different to hang up as well.  A few years ago I got wind of an artist who has been putting out some unique pieces of art dedicated almost solely to the baseball fans among us.

Chris Speakman is a print maker living in Massachusetts (won’t hold that against him) who has been churning out one-of-a-kind screen prints on his website for the last few years. Those of us who collect baseball cards might remember the 2009 insert set based on his work.

His limited edition prints evoke the World War II-era propaganda style posters that have recently become popular.  To me, the use of the teams primary colors really make them pop and would look fantastic on the wall surrounded by other team-related memorabilia.

 Dodgers fans should rejoice because he just announced his latest MLB-approved pieces- Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp.  The screen prints will each be hand-made, signed by Mr. Speakman and limited to just 200 copies.  The fifty-dollar price tag isn’t too unreasonable for the quality of work he provides.

I haven’t bought one for myself yet, but I did buy one of Camden Yards as a present a few years ago and can attest to how great they look in person.  Framing them probably won’t be cheap as they measure 21x17, but would well be worth it. This isn’t something you hang on the wall with thumbtacks.

It would be nice to see him expand into other sports (God knows I’d spend $100 for a Lecavalier) or offer a greater selection in his posters.  But that’s just a minor complaint. Having an artist out there (even if he’s a Red Sox fan) putting out works as creative as his should be appreciated.