| Tough Call (Game Called Because of Rain) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Norman Rockwell |
| Year | 1948 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 109 cm × 104 cm (43 in × 41 in) |
| Location | National Baseball Hall of Fame |
Tough Call – also known as Game Called Because of Rain, Bottom of the Sixth, or The Three Umpires – is a 1948 painting by American artist Norman Rockwell, painted for the April 23, 1949, cover of The Saturday Evening Post magazine.[1] The original painting is in the collection of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.[2][3] It is considered the best known of Rockwell's baseball-themed works,[4] and appears in at least ten Rockwell commentary books.[5]
The painting is set at a ballpark, where a group of three baseball umpires is looking skyward, as rain is starting to fall. Behind them is a scoreboard showing the game to be in the bottom of the 6th inning, with the Pittsburgh Pirates leading the Brooklyn Dodgers by a score of 1–0. Also shown is a Brooklyn coach or manager in conversation with his Pittsburgh counterpart.
- ^ Kazenberg, Corry (August 13, 2009). "Game Called Because of Rain". Rockwell Center. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ Post, Paul (October 12, 2016). "Edgerton shares Norman Rockwell baseball memories". Sports Collectors Digest. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ "All in the POST STRIDE". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 8, 1949. Retrieved May 10, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
gerlachwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Game Called Because of Rain or Three Umpires by Norman Rockwell". Best Norman Rockwell Art. Retrieved May 11, 2017.