Ex-big leaguers Blue, John to appear next week

Former Major League Baseball pitching standouts Vida Blue and Tommy John will join renowned muralist Vincent Perez in an artistic venture that will begin next week in Watertown and on Fort Drum.

The two former players will appear with Perez on Monday at a reception at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant on Arsenal Street, and then on Tuesday at a baseball game and autograph session at Fort Drum. On Tuesday, they will also launch an artistic project, the beginning of an 8-by-12-foot mural, titled “Champions,” which is meant to honor the service and sacrifice of the U.S. Armed Forces.

SignatureArt, a company that helps artists work with celebrities to create joint artistic works to benefit various causes, is raising money for the United Service Organization Fort Drum.

Blue, John and Perez will sign limited edition prints, which will be produced from the original painting and sold.

The Champions mural is the first of other murals expected to be created with the help of other artists and celebrities. The murals will then be shown at various sites throughout the country.

Blue, the American League Cy Young Award winner in 1971 and the first player to start the All-Star Game for both leagues, pitched 17 years in the majors. John played 26 seasons in the majors, mostly notably with the Dodgers and Yankees, and won 288 games. He appeared in Watertown in January.