Category Archives: Bronx
..born: bronx maternity…
..born: bronx maternity hospital (long gone)… ..apts: 571 E 170 / also across from plunge (ie:swimming pool) in Crotona Park… ..transportation: Grandpa, Uncles-Si, Lou, Abe Bernard OR the 3rd Ave “L”… ..schools: nr 170th near “L” & across from plunge (I do not remember what PS# … ..bagels: Grandpa, Uncles-Abe, Paul and Arthur all were bagel bakers in the Bronx (and later Paul in NJ)… ..fun: riding the “L” into Manhattan, the Bronx Zoo, Nathan’s @ Coney Island, Orchard Beach w/Grandpa & family… ..I’m sure that their is more, can anyone jog my memory???
Thanks so very much for…
Thanks so very much for recording the rules, Hugh. I haven’t played Skully since Jr High, I would guess, which was about 45 years ago. The best Skully piece I ever had was a wooden checker (do they make them any more? All I ever see now are plastic ones) that had a hole in the middle (burned with a soldering iron) which was then filled with molten lead. Bronx Gal
I grew up on Olinville Avenue…
I loved hanging out in the…
Like “stairball” and “pinners,”…
Like “stairball” and “pinners,” our baseball-style version of stoopball was called “off-the-point.” We played it on the granite step in front of the girls room of the parkhouse on Van Cortlandt Park South in the Bronx. There were always negotiations and clarifications on the rules, such as which fence posts were the foul posts, before the game began. Hitting the sweet spot–the corner of the granite step–with a new Spalding resulted in that “ping” sound that sent a rush through us and usually meant a hit.
What about…Stick up your…
Last year I had the occassion…
Last year I had the occassion of setting up a skully board in Brooklyn. We were talking to some cops (from the Bronx) who also remember using this “Board of Ed” skully piece too, back in 6th grade So exactly how did you pry off the bottom of the chair? By the way – good luck teaching your kid – but perhaps you should leave this part out of the instructions!
Hello all I grew…
Hello all I grew up on 165th street and the grand concourse in the bronx and we played skulley every day. I’m fairly sure we pronounced it skulley, but skelley could have been it. My favorite caps were made from the bottom of school chairs. It was a real labor prying of those rubber fillers with the nail in the middle, but well worth it. In fact today, I popped open some beer bottles and melted crayons to make some caps to teach my 9 year old son and 5 yr old daughter. I found this sight looking for refresher on the rules. I remember us starting from a start lines outside of the skulley board and then working 1 to 13 forward and then backwards and then we were crowned or something and could really kick butt at that point. I would love to see the full rules posted and variations from different neigborhoods would be cool too. take care all
There is still a stickball…
There is still a stickball league in the Bronx, New York. I have been playing in the New York Emperors Stickball League for 7 years straight. We play stickball in the Bronx at Stickball Blvd. right behind Stevenson High School Track. The games run from April to September on sundays at 10:00am to 12:30pm. I have started a website to promote the league it will be completed by May 1999. The address is www.bronxpages.com/stickball New Teams are Welcome! Stickball Rules!