Those of you who have baseball fever right now may want more than just your lucky socks on while you watch the games.

Saint Rita has been touted as the patron saint of baseball since 2002 when the movie “The Rookie” with Dennis Quaid was released. The film features Quaid as a high school teacher from Big Lake, Texas who despite being in his mid-thirties makes it briefly into the major leagues.

Who was Saint Rita? Saint Rita was an Italian nun who lived in the fifteenth century. Despite being married off to an abusive husband, she was known for her Christian values and dissuaded her sons against revenge. She became an Augustinian nun and when she was canonized (in 1900) she was given the title of “Patroness of Impossible Causes”.

The reason Saint Rita, the movie and baseball are all connected is due to an event which happened in 1921 in Big Lake, Texas. This area of Texas was once known as the “petroleum graveyard”, and contained an oil well with low production and drilling rights soon to expire that was considered a lost cause. The driller in charge received rose petals from a group of Catholic women investors and “christened” the well with the rose petals christening the well “Saint of the Impossible-Santa Rita”. Immediately the well began producing and on May 28, 1923 Santa Rita produced its first gusher and produced oil until 1990 (67 years). Within three years of its discovery the petroleum royalties endowed the University of Texas with a whopping $4 million dollars. The original rig is on permanent exhibit there.

A lot of images of Saint Rita exist in the market today. Most date from around 1900 when she was canonized. Many are nicely framed. This tin lithograph print recently sold for $280 despite some scrapes and scratches. It might be worth it if you want the Mets to win the title!

Karen Waterman is a fine art, antique furniture and decorative arts appraiser in the East Bay area and will answer as many questions regarding your “hidden treasures” as possible. By sending a letter or email with a question you give full permission for use in the column. Names, addresses or e-mail will not be published and photos will be returned if requested. Send e-mails (digital photos preferred) to watermanappraisal@gmail.com. Send snail mail to Waterman Appraisal and Consulting Services, PO Box 134, Barrington, RI 02806.