Original Dodger Drawings by Dick Perez at Legendary Auctions

Legendary Auction has just started their February Catalog Auction and it is definitely worth a look.  There's a bunch of Dodgers' related collectibles.  In this post I feature some original artwork from famed Baseball artist Dick Perez.  Later this week, I'll share some of my favorite vintage press photographs from the collection of George Michael (the man behind the Sports Machine).

As you may know, Perez is one of the games most recognizable present-day Baseball artist.  His work can be found at the Baseball Hall of Fame and at a permanent exhibit at Citizen's Bank Ballpark (home of the Phillies).  Perez has been the official artist for the Phillies since 1982.  His work has also been found on Donruss' Diamond King series of Baseball cards.

Both original drawings below were printed in his 2010 book titled, "The Immortals: An Art Collection of Baseball’s Best".

Here is a charcoal drawing of Roy Campanella.  From the auction description:

Much of my early published works dealing with baseball were black-and-white illustrations. They had to be because the art was used in the Phillies yearbooks of the 70s when those publications were not in full color. I enjoy looking at the black-and-white works of the great masters, and I still love to do single-color work. I revisited my distant past doing this charcoal drawing of Roy Campanella.

(auction link)

This drawing is an oil painting of Duke Snider.  from the auction description:

New York City in the 1950s was the center of the baseball universe. Three teams represented the city, and each claimed the best centerfielder in baseball. For Brooklyn Dodger fans it was Duke Snider. Like his counterparts, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, Snider could hit for average and power, and he was a spectacular outfielder. Duke Snider was one of only three players to hit 4 home runs in World Series play; the others were Ruth and Gehrig. Snider did it twice, once in 1952 (pictured as the subject for this painting), and again in 1955, when he sparked the Dodgers to their first World Championship.

I found it appealing that the first person to greet and offer a congratulatory handshake to the great slugger was the batboy. But this was no ordinary batboy. He was "Charlie 'The Brow' DiGiovanna"—named so because of his uni-brow. He was the most publicized batboy in baseball history. He was in his early twenties and very popular with the players. One of his duties was to sign baseballs for the players, hundreds of them. Duke Snider once said that Charlie could sign his name better than he could. DiGiovanna died in 1958 at the age of 28, following a heart attack.

(auction link)

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