Disappointed

Published April 13, 2009 at 2:45 a.m.
This is our issue with The New Statues at Nationals Park.

They are too confusing to look at.

The very fact that The D.C. Commission on The Arts & Humanities followed through on a tremendous tribute to three of Washington's greatest baseball players should not be taken for granted. This is a well deserved honor...Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson, Frank Howard and their respective families are worthy of the tribute...The Big Train is arguably the greatest pitcher of all-time. Josh Gibson the greatest slugger. And Hondo--the finest player to ever call DC/RFK Stadium his career home...He was an American League Home Run Champion and Feared Slugger. Beloved, even today.

Deserving are all three--no question about it.

But no one viewing these pieces of art deserves to stand before these three monuments and ponder what exactly they are viewing...The multiple arms depicting Walter Johnson's pitching motion takes away the sole reason for taking a gander in the first place--to appreciate Johnson's greatness, learn more and pass that word on to others--educate about history...Just as over powering is the effect of Frank Howard's five bats following through on his swing...It's too distracting. Fortunately, Josh Gibson's multiple batted follow-through is well below and behind his representation--making his final product far more appealing.

Sohna and I found our focus placed so much on the extended limbs on each statue--it took away from LOVING THEM.

What makes matters worse for us is that Frank Howard has factual mistakes in his depiction...Artist Omri Amrany has chosen to bronze Hondo in The Expansion Senators Pinstripe Jersey with Script "Senators" emblazoned across the front...Fine, that's a legitimate jersey worn by My Favorite Player Of All Time!! in Washington in the 1960's...What's not correct is Big Frank wearing Number 33 with that uniform...Howard wore Number 9 during the Pinstripe Era of The Expansion Washington Senators. He switched to Number 33 in 1969 when he gave that jersey number to The Great Ted Williams. The year "Teddy Ballgame" became Manager for the only year in over 50 past seasons that a Washington Major League Team finished above .500...In that famous '69 campaign, The Senators wore basic off-white (Cream Color) home jerseys and gray aways--no pinstripes. And in 1969 ONLY--The 100th Anniversary Patch of Major League Baseball was worn on every jersey in the Big Leagues that season...The 100th Anniversary Patch is depicted on Frank Howard's Uniform Statue.

To make matters a little worse, and The African Queen and I mentioned this to MASN Broadcaster and Washington Baseball Historian Phil Wood after the ceremony on Wednesday and Phil's ran with this info ever since on his critiques--Hondo's bat depicted on his monument is a Genuine Louisville Slugger--Ernie Banks signature model...Yes, Ernie Banks--not Frank Oliver Howard...Artist Omri Amrany produced an Ernie Banks Statue for Wrigley Field...For whatever reason, he didn't feel it necessary to permanently change Frank's bat to one of his own brand.

That really bothers us...Whether or not we appreciate the artistry of the statues, the factual representation should always be accurate...No need to mess with history as well.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then The African Queen and I are not enamored with the statues of Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson and Frank Howard...They may well grow on us, just like the multiple extensions existing on these monuments currently on display at Nationals Park. But for now--we are disappointed with these representations of our Washington Baseball Icons.

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