The Dugout

The Dugout is a 1948 painting by American artist Norman Rockwell, painted for the September 4, 1948, cover of The Saturday Evening Post magazine. The painting depicts the Chicago Cubs bench dejected during a game against the Boston Braves at Braves Field.
The painting became one of Rockwell's most iconic baseball-themed works and came to symbolize the Cubs' "lovable loser" image, throughout.

Composition

The painting features four members of the 1948 Chicago Cubs. From left to right:

Bob Rush, pitcher
Charlie Grimm, manager of the Cubs
Rube Walker, seated behind the batboy, catcher
Johnny Schmitz, standing behind the batboy, pitcher

Amongst the subjects in the crowd are two women with connection to personnel of the 1948 Boston Braves: Helen Fitzsimmons, daughter of Braves' coach Freddie Fitzsimmons, and Terese Prendergast, wife of Braves' pitcher Jim Prendergast.

Background

Before a doubleheader at Braves Field between the Boston Braves and the Chicago Cubs on May 23, 1948, Rockwell approached both teams with the intention of creating a portrait of a visiting team's dejection in contrast elation of hometown fans.
A number of Cubs players and manager Charlie Grimm agreed to pose in the dugout to be photographed. As spectators filled the stands, Rockwell handpicked a number of them and instructed them to mimic expressions of delight or scorn. Additionally, a batboy for the Braves, Frank McNulty, had to be convinced to pose in a Cubs jersey in front of the dugout. Rockwell paid McNulty $5.
The Cubs went on to lose both games of the doubleheader.