Fenway Frank

Frank is our former neighbor in San Francisco, a dedicated baseball fan, and freshly retired. He’s also a good sport: he let me use his face in this collage I created for St. Martin’s Press awhile back. That’s him with the chopsticks.

We lived next door for nearly four years, yet I learned a new fact during his recent visit to Maine: his full name is Franklin, born of the custom of Chinese mothers in his Bay Area neighborhood to name their sons after American presidents. Wonder if there was a Calvin….

During a 2006 return to San Francisco, he brought us to a Giants game, our first visit to the new ballpark.

I’ve split my loyalties between the Giants and the Sox. While watching a game, I sketched in my 2011 Sketchbook Project, smitten with Tim Lincecum.

Romo was a must when I made beards my theme for my 2014 Sketchbook Project.

Frank’s mission during his visit East was to visit Fenway. We sailed down to Boston on a clear day, and circled the park in all it’s hurley-blurley glory before the game.

The game was uneventful, maybe because both these guys were on the DL list.

Yet Fenway delivered a mighty SCORE for Frank.

We sailed back to Peaks Island under a full moon, with Monster memories.

He traveled to Yankee Stadium next, and to a Letterman taping. Fare thee well, Fenway Frank! Here’s to old friends singing Sweet Caroline.

And guess WHAT? The Sketchbook Project is coming to Portland, Maine! On October 2. I will hold my Beard Up sketchbook once again, along with a truckload of others from all over the world. Come join me!