The Encrypted Inning
Gregory Gómez
Sand-cast bronze and patina
2007, Arts in Transit
The Encrypted Inning, Gregory Gómez’s relief sculpture installation, celebrates both the Chicago Cubs and the human capacity to communicate complex information via two-dimensional symbols. Using the traditional method of baseball score-keeping, the sculpture describes the top half of the sixth inning and the bottom half of the ninth inning of the May 14, 1969 baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres. Among the colorful roster of Cubs players were both Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, who helped the home team come from behind to win the game with a score of 3 to 2.
The box score symbols, re-created here in bronze, are derived from samples of Cubs broadcaster Ron Santo’s own writing. The Padres’ sixth inning is represented on the interior façades of the elevator towers, facing the passenger platform, and the Cubs’ ninth inning is represented on the exterior façade of the east elevator tower.
Cubs management was instrumental in procuring writing samples, and granted the artist permission to duplicate Mr. Santo’s writing.
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