In the 1880s, citrus growers in California began working with lithographers to create colorful crate labels for their products. Over the next 70 years a new form of commercial art -- vibrant-colored labels on wood crates -- thrived, until the crates were replaced with preprinted cardboard boxes. Last winter, at Los Angeles City College's Da Vinci Gallery, artist Ben Sakoguchi revived the orange-crate art form with an amusing and provocative series that explores the history of baseball and its relation to America. What follows is some of his work from The Unauthorized History of Baseball in 100-odd Paintings.
