To Photograph a Baseball Team
One foot in front of the other.
Over the past six months I’ve found my typical introverted tendencies to be a less than ideal coping mechanism as I try to establish myself on the east coast.
In a desperate attempt to meet people here in Philly, I decided to check out the local Sandlot baseball team that I found on Instagram, the West Philly Waste. While too scared to actually join the team, I figured it would be good photography practice as well as socializing practice.
These Sandlot teams are all members of the Dock Ellis Baseball League. You know the name, Dock Ellis, the guy who threw a no-hitter while tripping on acid. The league is mostly comprised of east coast teams, from Pittsburgh to Baltimore, to New Haven, to Wilmington, NC and of course Philadelphia. They’re all over the place and seemingly growing fast. What better way to throw myself into the east coast fire.
Dock Ellis, a black man playing professional ball in the 70’s, was fiercely outspoken about the necessity for equality and fairness in baseball. It seems fitting that this league of misfits operates under the same demand: inclusivity.
The games are a joyous occasion as everyone comes together to celebrate a shared love for baseball.
Community!
In the coming weeks, months, and years (?), I’ll be traveling to different Sandlot teams to take portraits. I have no real plan other than to not overthink it and just make the work.
I’m eager to find where the project takes me as it develops in the coming months.
Gear talk. I’ll be using my Chamonix 4x5 camera with a 135mm f/3.5 lens for the entire project. While this first set of photos is a mix of color and B&W, the project will definitely be shot in color moving forward.
See you next week.
Logan