In this Wednesday, April 29, 2020, photo, Brooklyn-based baseball artist Graig Kreindler poses with two of his paintings of Babe Ruth, both unfinished, in the lobby of his residence in New York. Over 200 of Kreindler's paintings form the bulk of the exhibit "Black Baseball in Living Color:The Art of Graig Kreindler," at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo. The museum is closed now, but expects to reopen early in June. Both paintings of Ruth are based on photographs. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - Anika Orrock was all warmed up for her big pitch. On the mound at Yankee Stadium, tossing out the ceremonial first ball.
On Tuesday night, though, the baseball illustrator and cartoonist will be far from the Bronx. Instead of starting off the Pirates-Yankees game, she'll be back in Nashville, Tennessee, pondering her fate.
No way to tour the country, promoting and celebrating the publication of her first book, based on the women pros popularized by the movie 'œA League of Their Own.'ť
Now with the majors and much of the country shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, she spends her days pacing around a small cul-de-sac at home, managing virtual promotions and brainstorming ways to replace lost opportunities and income.
'œThe moment this happened, and I realized that a book launch was going to be a book flop, it was a struggle,'ť she said, wondering, 'œWhat in the world am I going to do?'ť
She's not alone in being shut out, either.
Through what Orrock calls 'œthe magic of the internet,'ť she connected with Brooklyn baseball artist Graig Kreindler, who experienced a similar letdown. His 230 paintings were to be a major part of an exhibit at the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri -- instead, the shrine was forced to close four weeks into the planned four-month run.
While commiserating about their virus-related setbacks, Orrock and Kreindler discovered they both celebrated their 40th birthdays on April 17. To mark the occasion, the social-media conscious pair created a 'œBaseball Buddy Birthday'ť video featuring a 3-minute card 'œdraw-off'ť for YouTube.
'œAnika is experiencing a different set of challenges right now. It's sad, because her book is so beautiful and she's such an awesome person,'ť Kreindler said.
'œHonestly, I crave friendship from another artist because I don't have a lot of friends who do what I do. It's not that it's lonely, but I don't have many people to talk to," he said.'ť
Orrock's newly released book, 'œThe Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League,'ť was the culmination of exhaustive research, interviews and writing about players in the 1940s and '50s. The Yankee Stadium visit was among a dozen or so publicity events connected to the publication that got canceled.
'œI spent three-plus years on this book and I'm way ahead on the whole social isolation thing,'ť she said.
Kreindler also spent three years leading up to the painting exhibit.
'œSatchel Paige and Josh Gibson -- most baseball fans know those names. But I got to learn about so many players in those leagues who had interesting stories behind them, including the majority who never got to play because of the color of their skin,'ť he said.
Orrock grew up in the San Francisco area, where her grandfather was a longtime, popular newspaper columnist and a baseball fan. While a student San Jose State, she went to Giants games and drew hundreds of scenes from the games.
After three seasons, she compiled them into a school project. She then realized they all looked the same because there were no women in her drawings.
It dawned on her: 'œI'm a woman and I love baseball ... There have to be great stories of women in baseball.'ť
Orrock attended a few reunions of the women who played in the long-ago league that began during World War II and, helped by a lot of persistence, her book project began to take off.
Kreindler's biggest challenge since the shutdown has been finding enough time to paint while sharing child-care duties with his wife, a writer, to care for and entertain their 2- and 4-year-old children.
In the past, Kreindler figures he researched and painted about eight hours daily. Now he's down to just an hour-and-a-half.
'œI'm way behind,'ť he said.
For Orrock, she's encouraged by those she wrote about.
'œIt occurred to me to look to the women in my own story to gain inspiration. They stepped up to the plate during the war,'ť she said. 'œThey brought their best when it was needed most. Their story is insightful and just as relevant today.'ť
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This April 30, 2020, photo shows Anika Orrock with her book "The Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League" in her home in Nashville, Tenn. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Orrock's appearance to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium May 5 has been canceled, as well as her plans to travel for the book's promotion. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, April 29, 2020, photo, delivery man Pablo Alfaro, left, takes a cell phone photograph of baseball artist Graig Kreindler's portrait of Josh Gibson while making a drop-off, as Kreindler holds his painting during a photos session in the lobby of his residence in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Associated Press
In this Sept. 8, 2018, photo provided by baseball illustrator Anika Orrock, Orrock, center, poses with former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Ann "Shorty" Meyer Petrovic, left, and Betsy "Sockum" Jochum, 99, at a league reunion in Kansas City, Mo. Orrock was all warmed up for her big pitch. On the mound at Yankee Stadium, tossing out the ceremonial first ball. On Tuesday night, May 5, 2020, though, the baseball illustrator and cartoonist will be far from the Bronx. Instead of starting off the Pirates-Yankees game, she'll be back in Nashville, Tennessee, pondering her fate. No way to tour the country, promoting and celebrating the publication of her first book, based on the women pros popularized by the movie 'A League of Their Own.' (Anika Orrock via AP)
The Associated Press
This undated photo provided by Graig Kreindler shows his painting of Andrew "Rube" Foster, known as the "father of black baseball." The Foster portrait is one of 230 Kreindler portraits in the exhibit called "Black Baseball in Living Color: The Art of Graig Kreindler" at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo. Foster was a pitcher, manager and founder of the Negro Leagues. The museum shut its doors in mid-March due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus and hopes to reopen in June. (Courtesy of Graig Kreindler via AP)
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This April 30, 2020, photo, shows Anika Orrock with one of her illustrations from her book "The Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League" in her home in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, April 29, 2020, photo, baseball artist Graig Kreindler poses for a photograph in the lobby of his Brooklyn residence in New York with an unfinished painting of Hall of Famer Josh Gibson showing off his swing. The painting is based on a 1939-40 photograph from Gibson's days with the Cangrejeros (Crabbers) de Santurce, part of the Puerto Rico semi-professional league. That photograph was later used for for Gibson's 1950-51 Toleteros baseball card, now a pricey collectible. During the first half of the 20th century, many African-American players participated in winter ball games in Latin America, earning extra money and escaping racism in the United States. Some 230 of Kreindler's paintings are part of an exhibit celebrating the centennial fo the Negro National League at the National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo. The museum was forced to temporarily shut down due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, but is aiming to reopen in June. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Associated Press
Baseball artist Graig Kreindler rearranges three of his paintings in progress, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, at his residence in the Brooklyn borough of New York. At left is a portrait of Hall of Famer and Negro Leagues catcher Josh Gibson showing off his swing, based on a photograph from 1939-40 season with the Cangrejeros (Crabbers) de Santurce, part of the Puerto Rican semi-professional baseball league. The painting at right depicts Babe Ruth during the 1920 season, Ruth's first with the Yankees, at the Polo Grounds, where the team played during most of the 1910's and 1920's before the Yankee Stadium was built in 1923. The middle painting shows some kids listening to Babe Ruth, who are obscured by Kreindler's right leg. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Associated Press
In this April 29, 2020, photo, baseball artist Graig Kreindler poses with his unfinished painting of Babe Ruth, right, as a painting of Josh Gibson rests behind him at his residence in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Over 200 of Kreindler's paintings of Negro Leagues players were on exhibit at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., when the coronavirus pandemic caused the museum to close. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Associated Press
In this April 30, 2020, photo, Anika Orrock holds some of her autographed baseball cards of players from the All-American Girls Baseball League at her home in Nashville, Tenn. Orrock has written and illustrated a book on the players titled "The Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League." (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
The Associated Press
Baseball artist Graig Kreindler holds his unfinished painting of Babe Ruth and children, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in the lobby of his residence in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The painting is based on a photograph from the fall of 1924. Kreindler says Ruth wears a uniform that was never actually used by the Yankees, "one that perhaps was used for a barnstorming tour." Some 230 of Kreindler's paintings are currently part of an exhibit at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, but the museum was forced to shut down in mid-March due to coronavirus concerns. As of now, it's scheduled to reopen early in June. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Associated Press
In this April 30, 2020, photo, Anika Orrock holds some of her autographed baseball cards of players from the All-American Girls Baseball League at her home in Nashville, Tenn. Orrock has written and illustrated a book on the players titled "The Incredible Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League." (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
The Associated Press