Will Johnson, as you no doubt know by now, is one talented dude. The guy's released like a bajillion records (be they solo, Centro-matic or South San Gabriel releases), he's appeared on tons of others (Drive-By Truckers, The Paper Chase, Little Grizzly), produced a handful (Telegraph Canyon, Collin Herring) and, oh, toured with some other big-timers to boot (Monsters of Folk, Son Volt, jandek, Funland). And yet, somehow, Johnson even finds some time to express himself through mediums outside of the music realm.
For years now, the noted baseball fan has been expressing his passion on that front through paintings of famous baseball players, complete with words that discuss their careers. Like, say, this Willie Mays painting here. Or the Bill Buckner piece you'll find after the jump.
Oh, and speaking of that Buckner piece (and hence, the point of this post): It'll be getting some nice attention next month, when the next in the great 30 for 30 ESPN film series, Catching Hell, premieres. The 32nd installment in the ongoing series (yes, it's still going) will focus on Steve Bartman, the Chicago Cubs fan vilified for catching a potentially in-play ball from his spot in the stands, thus costing the Cubs a potential chance to reach the 2003 World Series. Seems the 30 for 30 producers are making a parallel between Bartman and Buckner, the Boston Red Sox first baseman who cost the Sox a chance to win the 1986 World Series after letting a softly hit, "little roller" through his legs, and they're going to be using Johnson's painting in some regard to hammer the point home.
For the record, I've always blamed Sox catcher Rich Gedman's poor defense for that meltdown. Ugh. So many bad memories.
Anyway, as Johnson writes in his painting: "Baseball can be cruel that way." Indeed.