“I’m living in Brooklyn for twenty years now. I love it here. I originally lived in upper Manhattan and Bronx. I lived in Queens for some time. But this place is great. It’s just me and my box of paints; looking for work. Brooklyn loves people who get up everyday and do their thing. In Queens I’d get out there with my easel and no one gave a notice or a look. I’ve loved art all my life. I’ve been oil painting for 30 years. I’m 55 years old now.”
Those were RON NESBITT’s words. Who’s he? The answer is he’s the reason why I had to slam on the brakes of the TROLLEY this morning. He didn’t jump in front of me and get hit or anything like that. It’s what he was doing on the sidewalk that got my attention and I had to stop.
Ron is an artist; a self-proclaimed Baseball Artist to be more exact. On this fine morning I caught him working at his office “of the day”. His sidewalk studio was all set up on Vanderbuilt Avenue, only a few blocks from where construction on the new “Brooklyn” Nets arena is being built, when I pulled up. There was no need to knock as his work area had that open feel to it and no door. What stopped me in particular? After all, an artist plying his/her trade on a NYC sidewalk is not uncommon or unusual here, especially in this part of town. What stopped me cold were these:
Please excuse my own reflection. Ron uses glass as his canvas laid over a separate background so as to give his work a 3-D effect. These are his representations of EBBETS FIELD and of old YANKEE STADIUM.
The Ebbets Field frame he said is for Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President. Ron’s hope is that this work will get placed in Borough Hall. As an aside, money is really a secondary issue to him right now. He is more interested in just getting his work shown around town; preferably for schools and things of that kind of city nature. Ultimately he wants to present MLB offices here in NYC with a proposal for his works. I wish you well with that Ron! May all luck be with you.
I got more than I bargained for by meeting up with Ron this morning. He had great little anecdotes about the old New York Giants and about his Father’s love for them. It was just the other day in my Adelman’s post I was saying how the New York Giants don’t get much talk around these parts like the Brooklyn Dodgers do. Well, go figure. It took Ron, if you remember, who said he was originally from upper Manhattan to shed some light on that for me. That was Giants territory he speaks of. And that’s where his Pop rooted for the neighborhood team. Ron said he is absolutely amazed by the love of the Brooklyn Dodgers here; still, after all these years. Ron the 54 year old never did make it to the Polo Grounds or Ebbets Field although he said he does remember seeing the Polo Grounds on TV when the Mets played there. His Pop went though. He said his Father also told him the old New York Giants fans didn’t gravitate towards the Mets right away like the Brooklyn Dodger fans did. He said it took much longer for those old Giants fans to affiliate with a team again. Most of them eventually became Met fans but some remained as no fan at all. Sure some folks jumped to the Yankees. But it’s my understanding from everyone I speak with about those days the Yankee fan base just continued normally with no discernible influx of Dodger and Giant fans.
Ron? The shirt and hat he was wearing threw me off. C’mon Ron…a Yankee cap and a Jeter shirt? Ron told me he was a Mets fan. Me and you have some discussing to do about your attire today my friend. But all is forgiven. He’s a true Mets fan indeed. Donn Clendenon is his favorite All-Time Met. That’s a damn good choice. Big Donn was the muscle behind the Miracle Mets of 1969. He like me, likes the way the Mets have been playing. Before we continued on with our days he added, “When the Mets are in the World Series, it’s a feeling in your gut! The Yanks? Eh – take it or leave it.”
Yea! That’s my boy!
Ron specializes in Baseball Art, and today I learned there’s a lot of passion for Baseball that goes into every brush stroke he takes to his glass canvass. If you would like to commission Ron Nesbitt for a Baseball related work, he left his contact information.
Me? I’m happy to have made a new friend. As such a big fan of the history and nostalgia of Baseball I’m happy to have Ron Nesbitt’s work here on my BlogPage. We’ve agreed; I get to utilize his art works for my own love of baseball and my posting entertainment and in return I get him some exposure. I think it’s a great way for two Baseball fans to come together and share our love of the game in a way beneficial to each other.
But the bottom line here folks; This is how We Do in Brooklyn. Ron Nesbitt IS my neighbor like all the other friends we’ve ever visited on my (self-described Glorious) Trolley.
Ron, I look forward to seeing more of your work here, and hopefully getting you some exposure in the process. If I can help by having you join us on the TrolleyBlogger, let it be done.
Prospect Heights Neighborhood, Brooklyn
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These pictures of Ron’s work are from this morning August 3rd.
He and I have been talking since we first met. Today was another very engaging conversation and time well spent talking about Baseball and the ol’ neighborhood of
Prospect Heights.
Benefits of Eating Fruit
Five Years Later
The Mets, in Wilponian fashion, had two GM’s as 2004 came to a close. Jim Duquette was subsequently relieved of his post and the S.S. Wilpon set sail from that moment with Omar at the Helm.
The Wilpons ordered Omar Minaya to take the team out of the holding pattern they imposed upon Jim Duquette. Two years later the Mets were a 96 win team and came within one strike or hit of making it to the World Series in 2006.
Two very frustrating seasons ended in defeat for the Mets on their last day of play. Twice needing a victory to gain the playoffs; twice they failed to defeat the Florida Marlins when they need ONE GAME.
The 2009 season fell apart like wet toilet paper due to injury and compounded by very fundamentally poor play by whomever was on the field any given day.
Omar fired Art Howe to end the previous era he inherited. Omar then totally botched, but none-the-less, still fired Willie Randolph on the West Coast under the cover of NYC night. Today Jerry Manuel sits, and has for some time now, and will remain, on the hot seat. Why?
Because after getting defeated tonight by the first place and newly rebuilt Atlanta Braves by a score of 4-1, which followed a drubbing at the hands of a woefull D-Backs club the night before, at home by the way, the club Omar Minaya appointed Jerry Manuel to guide is officially, as of August 2nd, a .500 team.
Five seasons and four playing months later…the Mets are a .500 team.
That’s just the way it has played out folks. I didn’t really inject my opinions into that. Did I? How we got here and what happened along the way is a different conversation I’ve been having…..No?
(that was yesterday’s post ~ tonight they are currently tied 1-1 with the Braves in the 5th inning.)
Mike.BTB
Wall Mural in Bushwick ~ 300
mikebhurst
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