James Fiorentino's New Book Is A Keeper
ALSO: VERLANDER IS TOO FAR AWAY TO REACH 300 WINS
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
Tampa Bay’s decrease in runs per game from 2023 to 2024 was the third largest of the live-ball area, which began in 1920. Only the 1930-31 Pittsburgh Pirates (down 1.69 runs per game) and 1930-31 Philadelphia Phillies (1.64) fell off worse than the Rays (1.58) . . .
The Chicago White Sox, en route to their record season of 121 losses, were the only team in the majors to plate less runs than the Rays last year . . .
Playing home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Tampa spring training home of the New York Yankees, should boost home run production for the Rays, previously limited by the late, great Tropicana Field . . .
It will also be interesting to see whether playing at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park boosts the offense of the transplanted Athletics, especially now that Brent Rooker is pleased with his new five-year contract . . .
Barring a trade or free agent signing, the Braves believe erstwhile World Series hero Ian Anderson will take Charlie Morton’s place in their starting rotation.
Leading Off
Valentine’s Day Gift: The Wonderful Watercolors of Gifted Baseball Artist James Fiorentino
By Dan Schlossberg
James Fiorentino is an All-Star as an artist and as a person.
And, just in time for Valentine’s Day next month, he’s giving a gift to both the art world and the world of baseball, his first love.
Now 47, the Drew University graduate has teamed with writer John Molori to produce The Art of Baseball: The Watercolors of James Fiorentino, a strikingly-gorgeous hardcover book that is too good for most coffee tables.
Former MVP Don Mattingly, one of the artist’s many personal friends in the game, wrote the foreword. But it is Aaron Judge, another Fiorentino favorite, who graces the cover.
Like Walt Disney, who once dazzled millions when he presented The Wonderful World of Color in the early days of color television, Fiorentino is a master at his craft. And he’s been practicing that craft since he was a teen-aged prodigy growing up in New Jersey.
The youngest artist to exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame, he was also the youngest to be inducted into the New York Society of Illustrators. He’s met and painted presidents, world leaders, and ballplayers — often accepting private commissions and projects from trading card companies.
A member of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame since his 2024 induction, Fiorentino started painting as a teenager and started talking about presenting his work in book form not soon after.
Now he’s done the ultimate: gathered his most significant work, as well as his personal favorites, in an oversized, 144-page hardcover that reflects his love of the game as well as his talent with brush and easel.
An unabashed fan of the Yankees, he met Joe DiMaggio at a card show when he was 14 and asked The Yankee Clipper to sign one of his original works. Since then, Fiorentino has painted for Topps, Upper Deck, and star athletes.
“A lot of players own my art,” he says. “I paint for players and have been in many galleries, museums, and sports Halls of Fame.
“I’ve been painting for 30 years ad a lot of people want to own a Fiorentino.”
Also a collector, Fiorentino likes older, often-oddball items. He has hundreds of autographed baseballs, not mentioned autographed piece of his own art.
A fan of Cooperstown, he’s painted the cover of the Induction Program and donated a Roberto Clemente portrait plus a piece showcasing the greatest Negro Leagues players.
The new book features current Yankee star Aaron Judge, who graces the cover, plus the late Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford. There’s even a gorgeous black-and-white of Pepper Paire Davis, a real-life star from A League Of Their Own days.
There are also plenty of pictures of Fiorentino posed with his subjects — from the late Ralph Kiner to the 1999 Mets.
Perhaps because he has a reputation for being as polite as he is talented, Fiorentino has met nine presidents and painted many of them. His painting of George H.W. Bush hangs in his presidential library.
Known for his attention to detail, Fiorentino’s paintings are often hard to distinguish from photographs. It’s safe to say he’s the game’s greatest working artist.
“The nice thing is that sports art is being recognized now for the first time,” he said. “Paintings on cards are looked at as true pieces of art. It’s a good time to be working in sports.”
Word of mouth made Fiorentino famous. “I started meeting players at card shows,” said the former varsity shortstop for Drew. “That’s where I first met Yogi. He saw my work, brought me to his house, and then to his golf tournament, where I met other players. The relationships I have with a lot of these players goes back to when I was a kid.”
Published by Peter E. Randall, the book not only features an imposing lineup of superstars but contains explanations of why, when, and where the paintings were produced.
Now that he has two teenage sons of his own, perhaps new Fiorentinos will add to the American art scene. That wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Autographed copies of The Watercolors of James Fiorentino can be ordered directly from the artist. It’s a bargain at $50. To learn more, see www.jamesfiorentino.com.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ owns an original Fiorentino. He admires it while working in his office. Contact Dan by email at ballauthor@gmail.com.
Cleaning Up
Still No ‘300 Club’ Membership For Justin Verlander
By Dan Schlossberg
As stated in this space last summer, Justin Verlander won’t reach 300 wins.
He needs to average 19 wins a season for the next two seasons to get there and that’s just not going to happen.
Despite three Cy Young awards and just as many no-hitters, he’s suffering too many setbacks from age (42) and injuries (neck and shoulder last year).
He won only five games for Houston last year and limped to the finish line with a 5.48 ERA. Without his famous name and future status as a Hall of Famer, it’s doubtful the San Francisco Giants — or anyone else — would have offered him a $15 million contract even though 41-year-old Charlie Morton got the same one-year deal from the Baltimore Orioles.
Winning 19 games isn’t easy for anyone in these days of pitch counts and regular use of relief pitchers. In fact, the only hurlers who won as many as 18 last year were Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Atlanta’s Chris Sale, both of whom won the Triple Crown of pitching in their respective leagues.
Perhaps motivated by personal goals but more likely by model-wife Kate Upton, Verlander says he wants to pitch in the bigs at age 45.
That means three more seasons — and finding another taker in free agency after his Giants contract expires in October.
If he lasts three years, Verlander would still have to average almost 13 wins a year for the entire span. And he hasn’t won more than that since 2022, when he went 18-4 at an advanced athletic age.
The Giants certainly won’t supply the Virginia native with the same support he enjoyed in Houston. Even the addition of slugging shortstop Willy Adames won’t be enough for San Francisco to get back on the sunny side of .500.
Ironically perhaps, Randy Johnson was closing out his career with San Francisco when he notched his 300th win in 2009. Nobody has made it since, leaving the group with 24 members.
Warren Spahn, another Hall of Famer whose career ended with the Giants, only won three games there — but never realized his dream of reaching 400.
The best bet for Verlander seems to be finishing somewhere between Bert Blyleven (283) and Tommy John (288). Blyleven reached Cooperstown, as Verlander will too, and maybe even John some day, but the door to the 300 Club is slammed shut.
You heard it here first!
HtP weekend editor Dan Schlossberg is the author of 42 baseball books, including The 300 Club and two Hank Aaron biographies. His email is ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia: Verlander Press Notes
Justin Verlander was Detroit’s first-round amateur draft choice and the second choice overall in 2004 . . .
Two years later, he broke into the big leagues with a bang, posting a 17-9 record and winning American League Rookie of the Year honors . . .
The first time he led the league in victories (with 19), he finished only third in the voting for the Cy Young Award . . .
It was still a great comeback season, as he led the AL in losses (17) the year before . . .
The nine-time All-Star owns a 17-12 record in postseason play . . .
His best season was 2011, when he won the Triple Crown of pitching, the Cy Young, and the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles the Monday issue with Dan Freedman [dfreedman@lionsgate.com] editing Tuesday and Jeff Kallman [easyace1955@outlook.com] at the helm Wednesday and Thursday. Original editor Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com], edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Former editor Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] is now co-director [with Benjamin Chase and Jonathan Becker] of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, which publishes this newsletter and the annual ACTA book of the same name. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HtP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.