Portrait of Champions by Larry Eisenstein
The 1992 World Series Champion Toronto Blue Jays 
Limited Edition Lithograph - Edition of 1992 - Signed and numbered by the artist 
Licensed by MLB and MLBPA - 25" x 21" inches

I finished this painting just as the Jays won the World Series in 1992, after having worked on it throughout the spring, summer and early fall of that season. I totally believed that it was going to be their year! Contact me at eisenstein@rogers.com if you wish to order a print.

It was an unbelievable feeling to wake up the morning of November 1st 1992, go down to the corner variety and see this on the front page of the Sunday Star! It was everywhere. On the Toronto Star delivery trucks, their street newspaper boxes, and behind the cash counter on the wall of my neighborhood Mac's. I bought 20 copies, tucked them under my arm and walked home proud as a peacock.

This full-page full-colour spread in the Sunday Sports section today would cost $39,307.63, plus $7,842.03 for colour by Toronto Star advertising rates. That's a grand total of  $53750.61 after tax. But it was my good fortune that Garth Woolsey, the Star sports editor at the time, who was familiar with my editorial illustration work, saw this piece as a news item. He dispatched their award winning photographer Boris Spremo to shoot my 5 foot x 3.5 foot original acrylic on canvas. After it hit the newsstands I tried to offer Garth a complimentary print as a token of my deep appreciation, but he would not accept it on ethical grounds. What a class guy. I think he enjoyed helping a local artist get some mass media exposure.