A Legacy

AKA Catcher’s Mutt

This sculpture depicts two boys playing baseball. The pitcher has thrown the ball. The batter swung and missed the pitch. On home plate, a dog jumped up to catch the baseball. The work was commissioned by Ralph Ayers. The sculptures are modeled after two of Ayers’ grandsons and his dogs. The work was originally located at 2301 Burlington Street in North Kansas City in front of the bank that was located there. When the bank closed in 2013, the sculptures were relocated to their current location.

A separate sculpture, called “Boy with Bear,” was added to the original grouping in October 1996. The boy, modeled after another of Ayers’ grandchildren, walks toward the older boys playing baseball. He holds a bat in his right hand, dragging it along the ground, while clutching a teddy bear to his chest with his left.