This is to announce that the Puerto Rico Rookies Stickbal team from Rio Grande, PR, who won the 2004 championship in “El Barrio” July 4th weekend series, and Also this year won the Bronx emperors series, invites all teams to their Labor Day Sept. 3rd series in Rio Grande, for information pls contact team pres. Ruben Garcia 787-887-4526 or Danny Diaz VP 787-632-1602.
My Candy stores were: Oscar’s On Kings Highway right off Ocean Parkway. Even into the 70s, they used to jerk the soda, and serve it in a little paper cup with plastiuc holder. They also always had one pinball game. Near PS 215, we went to Nats. It was right on the corner of east 3rd Street and Kings Highway. Great Lunch Special. There was Nat, a heavy chef guy, and some women that did the register. Anyone else from Kings Highway?
Playing stick ball in Brooklyn in the late 1940’s, most of us could hit the ball at least 3 sewer covers. Willie Mays probably did hit it over 4. Our street had covers about 75-100 feet apart. Too far to use one for home and the next one for second, so we used a piece of cardboard for home or second. First or third was usually a fire hydrant.
I grew up in St. Albans Queens in the 50-60’s I can’t remember how one got the points. It had something to do with what you had left in the hand. But I remenber drawing for hard or soft knucks eg red or black. There was the slap with the flat of the pack. There was the smack with the edge of the pack (the scrape???) then there was putting your hand down on the ground and the deck on the fingersnails and then the winner stepped on the deck. Then there was the flying knucks…. A nice sadistic game that turned boys into men
I grew up in St. Albans, Queens on Galway ave in the 50-60s. I played war. Much like web diva says but it was more dramatic when you had two equal cards. First you and the other player said I and put a card face down then you said de (pronounced dee) and put a card face down. Then you said clare and put a card face down. Then the big finish you both yell war and throw down the fourth card face up and see who wins. Boy I remember playing Knucks. I believe it is short for knuckles. I am not certain but I believe you ended up with points for not winning and the points depended on which cards you had in your hand. The type of knucks you got depended on the point total. If it was low you got slapped on the knuckles with the flat of the deck. If it was higher you got smacked on the knuckles with the edge of the deck. Then there was the worst. Putting your hand on the ground and the deck on the fingernails and someone stepping on the deck. Nothing like a good sadistic game to bring back fond memoires. Someone must remember how to play.
In St Albans, Queens, Galway ave to be exact, in the 50-60s we played a game called “running bases” which sounds like the previous positings “pickle”, “hot box”, or “monkey in the middle”. On either side of the street were the two baseman and a bunch of the kids were in the middle. You had to avoid being tagged out as you ran from base to base. It is like a run down in baseball also known as a pickle. Sometimes if you were tagged out you were out of the game until the last person was tagged out. I believe other times you exchanged places and became the baseman. The bases were safe areas and you could stay on them. Only co-ed game back then.
Any self respecting kid that grew up in the 50-60s in St.Albans, Queens and went to PS 118 knows that Pensie-Pinkies rule. Its called pensie-pinkie because it had a keystone stamped on the pink ball. The state symbol for Pensylvania is the keystone. The nick name for Pensylvania is the “Keystone state”-hence Pensie short for Pensylvania. I found this site looking for Skelly/Scully rules. Great site. I played all the usual street games including stoop ball, chinese handball, stickball etc. A kid couldn’t live without a Pensie. ANYONE HEAR OF RUNNING BASES??? Two “basemen” on either side of the street and a bunch of kids in the middle. The object was to tag the kids out as they ran back and forth between the two bases. It was like a run down in baseball. One of the few co-ed games at the time. Girls were so icky back then. This site brought back many wonderful memories.