Category Archives: Bronx
I grew up on 219th Street…
Skully is known by many…
[e-mail]";
}
?>
Skully is known by many names–the similar sounding variations generally vary by neighborhood, though I certainly heard “skelly” as well as “skully” in the Bronx. I think that the sing-song quality of “skelzee/skelzies” is extended from the original “skully/skelly” in much the same way as people shooting for the the 2-box would proclaim they were “going for twosies.” As Snoop Dogg would say, “by any name, skelzizzle is off the hizzle for shizzle, dizzle.”
My grandfather (from La…
[e-mail]";
}
?>
My grandfather (from La Fontaine Avenue, Bronx NY) Vincent ‘Jimmy’ Provenzano played on a baseball team known as the “Kroywens” back in the early 30’s – and later. He also played stickball. He passed away a three years ago and I would love to hear from anyone that played with or knew him. He played a lot of semi-pro baseball, including two games against the Sing-Sing inmates. I also currently play semi-pro ball. Ray T
September 11, 2003- As I…
[e-mail]";
}
?>
September 11, 2003- As I sit here 2 years later thinking about Steve, I realize there is nothing that I can say that would carry an significance whatsoever. In fact, it is possible that no one will ever even read this. It is, however, important to me to say something. Like many others, I met Steve through the great sport of stickball. It was easy to see his passion for the game. He backed up that passion with a load of talent as well. During the games anything was fair game: your skill, your clothes, your heritage, your mother! After the game was another story. We would shake hands, discuss strategy, relive plays from the previous game and talk about the state of stickball in San Diego, where I live. I spoke to Steve during the Labor Day tournament here in San Diego just before 9/11 2001. He was really pleased with how the sport was growing and how the level of competition was improving. He offered me all kinds of advice about the game based on his experience. I vividly remember Steve helping his son with his hitting on one of the empty fields. That is is how I will remember Steve Mercado. Yes he was a great stickball player. Yes he was a courageous firefighter. Yes he was a devoted husband. But when I picture Steve in my mind, I still see him out in the middle of the street with his son. Steve was a father. I carry a picture in my wallet of Steve and Skylar holding up the first place trophy from the last stickball tournament Steve played. I think it is a great tribute that they have renamed Stickball Blvd, in the Bronx to Steve Mercado, Stickball Blvd. It was impossible for me not to get choked up during the dedication ceremony. I did not know Steve as well as many of the people who have contributed messages here, but he touched my life, as I’m sure he did thousands of others. Steve was a good man with a great heart. I will never forget. Ed Marquis
These guys are not in the…
[e-mail]";
}
?>
These guys are not in the Stickball Hall of Fame but certainly belong there. They used to play for the Little Italy team that played against the great Puerto Rican teams from Spanish Harlem and the Bronx in the late 50s and early 60s. Whoever had the opportunity to witness a game between the Italians and the Puerto Ricans on Mulberry Street on a Sunday afternoon saw stickball at its best. Both teams had outstanding hitters and fielders. And, unbelievable hustle and heart! Members from the Italian team 1. Vinny Head 2. Big Gary 3. Eddie Poop 4. Jimmy Alber 5. Tiger 6. Beansy 7. Jimmy Tips 8. Mike Fink 9. Smitty 10. Angie Bird 11. Maxie 12. Billy Bonds
Just found this site and…
[e-mail]";
}
?>
Just found this site and noticed that most of the posts were from Brooklyn and the Bronx. I grew up on Staten Island in the ’60’s and early 70’s in the Stapleton Houses, and spent many days playing skully in the park. We had skully boards already painted on the park grounds by the housing management.Bright yellow! In reading the postings I noticed the names of other games we used to play:Hot peas and butter, red light-green light, etc. Brought back some good memories. One game I haven’t seen was called black tar, or cau cau, I think. I was only about 8 at the time. Anyway, thanks for a great site.
We usually played this game…
[e-mail]";
}
?>
We usually played this game on a dead end street in the south Bronx. They’d be five or more players who would line up on the sidewalk of one side of the street. The person chosen to be a responder would take position on the opposite sidewalk. In unison the group would call out, What’s in the Icebox” and the responder would say an item, after some drawn out elaboration, that would either be something found in an icebox or not. If the item was something in the icebox like, “A delicious bottle of, Milk!” everyone would run and the first one to tag the responder was the next one to be up. The real catch to this game was if the responder said something like, “A big juicy shoe!” In this case, whoever took a step forward to run would be out and usually more than one person was out.
I grew up in the Longwood…
[e-mail]";
}
?>
I grew up in the Longwood section of the Bronx back in the 70’s and early 80’s. During that time there was no such thing as a “playground” (at least not in that part of The Bronx.) Instead, we had school yards, abandoned lots full of bricks still there from when apartment buildings were knocked down and abandoned buildings. We made the best of what we had and turned everything around us into our own playground. Instead of going to a pool, we soaked ourselves in pump water. Yes, you may see it as poverty, which it was. To me, it is beautiful childhood memories, that I would not trade for anything in the world.
I grew up on the Concourse…
[e-mail]";
}
?>
I grew up on the Concourse (1055 Grand Concourse) between 165 and 166th, diagonally across from the Executive Towers and just a few blocks from the House that Ruth Built. I am talking about 1964-74, the Mickey Mantle era for the Yankees. Got to see the greatest Yankee teams of all time,: Mantle, Maris, Tresh, Richardson, Howard, Stottlemyer, Kubeck, Pepitone, Whitey Ford, Yogi. Man those were the days. Went to JHS 117 (Joseph H. Wade) and DeWitt Clinton High School. Went on to graduate from John Jay College in 1979 and Yale Law School in 1982 and am now an entertainment lawyer living in sunny Miami. Been back to the Bronx a few times. Man has it changed. My second profession is writing and I am currently working on a script for a Cable TV Serie called Grand Concourse which is about growing up there in the mid 60’s to mid 70’s. I have written a draft of the first episode (its titled “The Mick”, and is based on a real incident revolving around the day we moved from Brook Ave. to the Grand Concourse.) If any of you are interested in reading it, please drop me a line by e-mail: rvr912 [at] hotmail [dot] com. Take Care.