About the Authors

James Fiorentino is an internationally recognized artist who has painted some of the most recognized faces in the world. A master in watercolor, his works have been displayed in museums, galleries, and private collections across the globe, and his story has been told on international and national media including ABC World News Tonight with Dick Schaap, CBS This Morning, ESPN’s Baseball Magazine, ESPN Magazine, the New York Times, Fox After Breakfast, NBC Good Day New York, and more. Recognized as a prodigy at an early age, Fiorentino’s diverse portfolio includes photo-realistic portraits ranging from sports figures and celebrities to everyday life as well as wildlife and landscapes. The youngest artist ever to have a work displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Fiorentino is also the youngest artist to be inducted into the prestigious New York Society of Illustrators, joining the ranks of masters like Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth. The starting shortstop for Drew University during his college days, Fiorentino expresses his love of baseball in his many paintings of legends of the past and the stars of today. His work has won numerous awards and has been featured on nationally distributed products including Topps, Upper Deck, and Kellogg’s. For his contributions to the game of baseball as an artist, Fiorentino was elected to the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 along with baseball luminaries Don Mattingly, Yogi Berra, and Ed Lucas. www.jamesfiorentino.com

John Molori is a columnist/ writer for Barrett Sports Media and Northeast Home, Golf, and Lifestyle Media. He co-hosts The Great American Collectibles Show and has contributed to the award-winning books The Cracker Jack Collection: Baseball’s Prized Players, The 100 Greatest Baseball Autographs, Legendary Lumber: The Top 100 Player Bats in Baseball History, Baseball & Bubble Gum: The 1952 Topps Collection, and The Diamondbacks Collection: 50 of the Greatest Cards in Sports Collecting History. Molori has also written for ESPNW.com, Patriots Football Weekly, Boston Metro, Boston Baseball Magazine, Providence Journal, the Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His radio and TV credits include ESPN, SiriusXM, FOX, Comcast, NESN, and NECN. Molori has lectured on writing and media at Emerson College, Boston University, Lasell University, and Curry College. His awards include the New England Emmy Award, CableACE, Beacon Award, and the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters Award. For his contributions as a sports journalist and commentator, Molori is an inductee into the Methuen, Massachusetts, Athletic Hall of Fame alongside 1987 Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian.