Baseball Origami -- You Gotta Have Wa

There’s something about the Japanese and baseball.  They are nuts about it. Check out a look at  Japanese baseball culture in Robert Whiting’s book You Gotta Have Wa.    But the Japanese have other baseball talents.  Take haiku—there tons of baseball haiku out there (Check our previous posting   Love and Baseball in Seventeen Syllables for proof.)  Then I wondered. What about origami?  Could I write a whole post on baseball origami?  Abe Lincoln says yes.

So let’s start at the beginning.

First I guess we need a ball. We will start easy. How to make a ball. How To Fold a Ball.   Before you blow it up, take a red marker and draw in baseball stitching just for fun. 

Now the glove is an easy one, This is one that you could do in the middle of seventh inning stretch, or during a slow stretch in the game to amuse your friends and the people around you. You can do this one with a newspaper.  Baseball Glove    or if you prefer a moving tutorial  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRB3HeMfhtw

But as you can see,  it just takes a bit of imagination to recognize it as a glove so again, I suggest using a marker to add on the stitching.  This would be a good one for the middle of the 5th and 6th innings when thing get slow at the game.

Of course, you got to have Baseball Uniform.   This one gets me thinking of the amazing and wonderful Diane Palmer, who created the most awesome bowling shirt origami this spring (Bless her heart and long live the Bourbon Brunch.)   Here’s the link. http://en.origami-club.com/clothes/baseball/index.html    Draw in your own team’s logo or use them for party invitations or favors during your next baseball weekend.

Have to have a baseball cap to go with that uniform. You can go cheesy with that cap   http://slangoman.blogspot.com/2008/02/paper-baseball-cap.html   or a bit more involved. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK1giCsXkpw

Okay, can’t have baseball without a bat.   This is the lamest origami I’ve seen, but I love this kid. ( "Hi, guys. It’s Norman…") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI5v4wVnHk8.  See anyone these days can have an internet channel (or a baseball blog).

All this folding and work is making me thirsty.  Beer here!  Beer Cup   or   http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Paper-Cup-by-Folding

Could I get a dog with that beer?   The works please and sauerkraut if you got it. Hot Dog 

All right.  You get the idea.  And if you really want to impress your baseball friends,  let’s go back to the Abe Lincoln wearing a baseball cap.    I tried this one and showed it to The Boyfriend.  He stared at it with a deer in the headlight look, then said, “Okay?”  Which means I had to explain what it was.  Which means that my first attempt didn’t look like the illustration. Then he said,  "I hope you are going to unfold that.”   

He’s on to something. A great way to carry around your beer money, no?  It is always good to make the beer vendor laugh.   Now that’s wa, my friend.

http://img.wonderhowto.com/img/60/42/63431213400694/0/make-abe-lincoln-look-like-b-boy-5-dollar-bill-origami.w654.jpg