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 Matthew Clifford’s “Baseball Fence Art” Photo Gallery
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Subscriber Matthew Clifford Creates A New Art Form: “Baseball Fence Art!”

Yes, you read that right…

Back in 2016, life-long Cub fan and avid baseball history fan Matthew Clifford bought a home on a half-acre of land in the rural northern Illinois town of Leland. The property came with a rickey-rack six-foot fence enclosing his backyard. Matthew initially considered taking down the rather unattractive fence. Those of us who love anything even remotely associated with the history of the game we love are glad that he didn’t!

Gazing at his rather unsightly wooden fence, Matthew had a sudden brainstorm – one that would only occur to a baseball history fan – which stopped him in his tracks before he powered up his hack saw to start the dismantling project. I think we might call it Matthew’s “field of dreams” moment.

But first a little background:

As someone who had done extensive research for different SABR publications about Babe Ruth’s last year playing in the National League in 1935, Matthew was very familiar with the old Lifebuoy sign found in right field at the old Baker Bowl, the 1930s home of the Phillies. As Matthew related to me:

“The Phillies of the 1930s were stuck staring at this gigantic billboard soap advertisement that read, ‘The Phillies Use Lifebuoy.’ According to legend, the Phillie fans would joke, ‘The Phillies Use Lifebuoy…and they still stink!’ I’ve looked at this

photo hundreds of times…Why not add to my fence instead of replacing it? Why not add a baseball sign…why not THAT sign?”

And that’s exactly what he did last year. Using two pieces of plywood measuring four x eight, and plenty of green and white paint, he created a replica of the sign and affixed it to the fence. Matthew was pleased with the result; and so – one thing leading to another – soon a Burma Shave advertisement from Fenway Park appeared beneath it. This was followed by a vintage Red Sox logo. Check out Matthew in front of the sign below:

 

That opened the floodgates into Matthew’s creative mind. Maybe, just possibly, he could expand the idea to cover the remaining 50 sections of the fence. He soon added more hand-painted vintage sign replicas, ones that most of us who have been around for a while are very familiar with: Cracker Jack, Planters Peanuts, Bazooka Gum, Chicago Dogs, Vienna Beef, Dennis the Menace, A&W Root Beer, the 1970s Houston Astros logo, the Negro Leagues Miami Ethiopian Clowns, the Chicago Cubs foul ball sign, and many more.  

Matthew’s Wrigley Field upbringing also kicked in. On all sections of the fence still without a sign, he reproduced the familiar Wrigley Field red bricks and added fake ivy. To give it even more of the Chicago flavor he remembered from his youth, he added the old Mister Donut and the Magikist logos, familiar to Chicagoans, that were seen for many years on the way to Wrigley Field.

But Matthew wasn’t finished. More vintage signs were added earlier this year: Good n’ Plenty, Blackjack Gum, Lucky Strikes, Budweiser, Major League, Big League Chew, Spalding baseball gear, Klondike Bar, Louisville Slugger, Lemonheads candy, Crosley Radio, Charleston Chew, Genco Olive Oil, Affy Tapples, Mallo Cup, Geno’s East Pizza, Ball Park Hot Dogs, Cock Robin Drive-In, Gem Razor Blades, Tootsie Roll, Nuts On Clark, Gatorade, Heinz Ketchup, Mountain Dew, Maurice Lenell Pinwheel Cookies, Coca-Cola.

With seven more blank slots to fill, Matthew’s one-of-a-kind project isn’t quite complete. But so far,  he has created a “vintage backyard” that any history buff would love:

“My kids Jacob, Tommy, and Joseph and I play father and son catch almost every single day. My son Tommy, a huge Yankee and Mickey Mantle fan, prefers facing the GEM RAZOR sign when we play, since the company had several ads at Yankee Stadium and Mickey Mantle was their spokesperson in the 1950s. Tommy says, ’The Mick used to look at that same sign in Yankees’ center field and now, so am I!’”

When Matthew contacted me and described his unusual backyard “decor,” my “all things baseball history” antenna and alarm bells immediately went off. As I’ve mentioned before, I’d be remiss in my duties as your friendly resident baseball historian if I didn’t follow up! I knew I’d have to see it for myself. So last Saturday morning, I made the hour and twenty-minute drive from my home in Park Ridge, Illinos to Matthew’s home in Leland. I can testify that the baseball scene in his backyard is as good as advertised.

As I walked into the backyard, I was immediately struck by all the vibrant colors Matthew has incorporated into his artwork, giving the entire display the “warm and fuzzy” feeling one gets when walking into a ballpark. After taking the “ten cent” tour of the yard, gazing in delight at all of Matthew’s marvelous creations, we then sat down on his patio. 

“Just talkn’ baseball” in this great setting, we both felt the time flew by. In addition to the art project, we talked at length about Matthew’s significant contributions to baseball history, including his original research setting the record straight regarding the pitcher who recorded Babe Ruth’s last strikeout. I soon learned that the answer was not as clear as you might think. He also described his work in discovering and correcting a misidentification on an important “League Leaders” baseball card that existed for many years between Tigers Harry Heilmann and Larry Woodall.

Matthew mentioned that his next-door neighbor is a huge baseball fan and has a great view of Matthew’s vintage backyard display from his upstairs window vantage point. His neighbor couldn’t be happier with the view! And I would concur. I’d highly recommend a visit to Matthew’s home whenever you are in the Chicago area. Take in his unique “baseball fence art.” I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. I’ve included a small sampling in the gallery section above.

Gary Livacari