Beautiful Andre Dawson Hand Painted George Sosnak Folk Art Signed Baseball

Elaborate folk-art tribute ball, hand painted by former minor-league umpire George Sosnak (1922-1992) commemorating the 8th annual Pizza Hut All-Star Softball Game played on February 5, 1989. Three of the six panels feature Sosnak’s meticulous artwork and lettering, including a full side-panel illustration of Hall of Fame slugger Andre Dawson. Signed and dated (“1989”) by Sosnak on the Dawson panel. The other three panels feature ten unidentified signatures. Although Sosnak was a prolific artist, by some accounts creating over 800 illustrated baseballs, the popularity of his works has continued to grow with each passing decade. Sosnak is nearly as well known in the folk-art community as he is in the field of baseball collectibles, so it is no surprise that examples of his work can be found in both the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. One of Sosnak’s balls (detailing JFKs Opening Day pitch at a 1962 Senators game) can even be found in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. The three unadorned signature panels have light wear. The painted panels remain in Near Mint condition. The unadorned panels are in Very Good condition.

D#106