Monday, July 21, 2008

Sharp Dressed Man

I mentioned it in the recaps, but the White Sox unveiled a Harold Baines statue yesterday. A pic of it is available in this article. The most striking thing about it is how bronze-Harold is very obviously wearing the 1983 Sox uni, which I find to be a particularly interesting choice. Historically accurate? Sure, his best years came in those duds, but it does create an aesthetic detach between what we normally expect to see in a statue and what the Baines one gives us.

Reminds me of downtown Columbus, actually, where the Statehouse grounds have many statues of 19th century presidents and civil war soldiers. With those you get what we've come to expect: vests and long coats and sideburns and stuff. Across the street, however, sits a statue of former governor James Rhodes (of "four dead in O-HI-O" fame) wearing a 1970s-era business suit, wide tie and all. It just seems, I dunno, off somehow.

Could be worse, though. Chet Lemon could have stayed in Chicago and put up a Hall of Fame career, thereby inspiring a bronze interpretation of this.

No comments: