Late UCSB baseball player Maury Ornest struck a chord by using art to express mental illness

Maury Ornest had several things in common with Freddie Freeman, the World Series hero of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both were born to Canadian parents and both grew up in Southern California. Their fathers made sure they played baseball, threw them balls and took them to Dodgers and Angels games.

Ornest was a major league draft prospect out of Beverly Hills High in 1977, but he decided to pursue a college education and came to UCSB. As a switch-hitter, he compiled a .363 batting average for the Gauchos and was taken in the third round of the 1980 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Injuries prevented Ornest from making it out of the minor leagues, and then mental illness plunged him into a dark place far from the bright lights of the ballpark. But after his death in 2018, it was discovered that he had acquired a colorful legacy of his own. Just as prolifically as Freeman lays down basic hits, Ornest’s brushstrokes filled hundreds of canvases.

Laura Ornest remembers the day in 1983 when her youngest brother brought up bizarre visions that clouded his mind. “It was a psychotic break from reality,” she said. It’s called schizoaffective disorder and affected Maury for the rest of his life. “There was medication, therapy, good times, hard times,” Laura said. “He was withdrawn. A therapist suggested painting to express herself.”

After her brother suffered a fatal heart attack, she said, “When we went to his house, we were overwhelmed and surprised by the amount of paintings. We could barely move between all the canvases. We also found magazines. He left so much behind and told us of his sorrows, torments and joys.”

The paintings, many of which have a baseball theme, portray a vivid imagination. “What struck us most was the vibrancy, the joy, the love, the humor, the silliness and the whimsy in the paintings,” Laura said. “He channeled his inner darkness into vibrant, life-affirming colors with passion and energy.”

Her brother’s achievements made Laura reflect on his dedication as a baseball player. “What inspired me about Maury was that despite his illness, he never gave up,” she said. “In baseball, even the best hitters fail two-thirds of the time. They know that tomorrow is another day.”

Maury’s story is told in a documentary film, Outsiderwhich will be shown on Sunday (Nov. 10) at UCSB’s intercollegiate athletics building. Laura Ornest, a college graduate herself, will serve on a panel that includes athletics director Kelly Barsky, psychology professor Dr. Steve Smith and art professor Jane Callister.

Dodger art by Maury Ornest | Photo: courtesy

Barsky described the film as “incredibly raw and graceful at the same time. It is an honor to highlight Gaucho’s story and use it as inspiration to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness and support mental health.”

An art sale – which Maury Ornest was never able to organize – will follow Sunday’s display and discussion. Event invitations have been completed, but questions can be directed to Leslie Gray at [email protected].