The Unauthorized History of Baseball in 100-Odd Paintings

In a series of colorful, captivating, and often provocative paintings, Los Angeles artist Ben Sakoguchi (b. 1938) examines how baseball, long referred to as America’s national pastime, reflects both the highs and lows of American culture. 

The son of a grocer and avid baseball fan, Sakoguchi juxtaposes the iconic imagery of vintage orange crate labels from the 1920s to the 1950s with whimsical, eccentric, and sometimes scathing portrayals of America’s beloved sport.

Presented as a companion to Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American, the exhibition also features several new works, including a series on the Jewish “Dream Team” and a personal series devoted to Sakoguchi’s father. Through this expansive collection, The Unauthorized History of Baseball in 100-Odd Paintings: The Art of Ben Sakoguchi presents a “people’s history” of baseball, telling true stories of players and communities that have been overlooked, forgotten, or misrepresented.

Exhibition overview from the museum website