Category Archives: Other Spaldeen games

Spaldeens were used for…

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Spaldeens were used for Stoop,Stick and Wall Ball. In the area known as Red Hook south Brooklyn. There was a street game that most called “punch ball” We chose to call it fist ball, since you didn’t hit it with a punch but rather your closed fist or in some instances an open hand, to slap it or slice it. The ball was hit with the exposed flat joints and heel of the hand The prefered ball for this was known as a “Pimple ball”, it was white and a little softer than a Spaldeen. The ball had dots in between lines that ran around the ball. Some had a star at the top and bottom of the ball. There was no room on our block to play stick ball, with cars parked on either side and there were only a few stores in the area that sold it. One was Scamadellas, on Court and Baltic Streets. 15 cents each.

Fantastic to read about…

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Fantastic to read about all the stories from the old days. As an ex-Brooklynite from the 50’s, the question is where can I play stickball in Manhattan when I’m in town? Any suggestions about specific places to play stickball will be greatly appreciated. At my age, anything that bounces will suffice, although Spaldeen was the ticket in my neighborhood.

Do you guys remember bottle…

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Do you guys remember bottle cap baseball? There was even a TV show (I think Sat. mornings) where they would have guys like Joe Black, Gil Hodges, & Don Newcombe playin’ it. One guy would have a set of soda caps like coke and the other guy would have caps like white rock or rhiengold. The batter would shoot his cap onto the field and the defense would shoot his cap with his thumb to hit the batters cap for an out. Do you remember the Roger Maris hitting tube? It layed on the ground & had a plastic ball in the end of it. You would stomp on the end of the flat tube and the ball would shoot up into the air and you would hit it. They had one for Mays too. I wish I still had it for my kids. Who else remembers playin in the streets with a real hardball? The cover was gone in no-time but you would wrap it with friction tape. The kids wouldn’t pitch in to buy a new ball but we would save up to buy a new roll of tape. You could go a long way with a roll of friction tape…OK last but not least, where can I find a Top. Micknpez said he scored some but where from? For the last couple of years I’ve been lookin’ but can’t find ’em. I would love to show my kids how to play. Eat hard, Sleep hard, and Grow Big…For we are the last of the Full Grown Men!

Do you guys remember playin’…

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Do you guys remember playin’ wallball & roofball as well as punchball & stoopball? I lived in Yonkers and for wallball we would draw two foul lines and a short & long limit line. You would bounce the spaldeen off the wall & it had to bounce past the short line or drop in front of the long limit line. If it bounced short, too long or foul it was an out. If your opponent cought it on a fly it was an out, but if he didn’t catch it, you got a base per bounce til he got it. Ex. 2-bounces a double & 3 a triple!

As a Brooklyn and Queens…

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As a Brooklyn and Queens kid of the 50’s, I have to cast a vote for the one and only ball that any repected kid would use in my neighborhoods. You bought a Spaldeen (At Uncle Milty’s Candy Store). Period. That other ball would be like using some artsy fartsy chocolate syrup for an egg cream instead of U-Bet. And nobody bought a stickball bat. I couldn’t believe when they started selling them at the local stores!

The ONLY acceptable, official…

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The ONLY acceptable, official ball to use in my neighborhood in da Bronx to play stickball, punchball, stoopball etc. was the GREAT Spaldeen. We use to pick up two ball at once, hold them at about eye level then let them drop to see which one bounced higher. We’d do this until the candy store owner screamed “Hey you kids..stop makin’ my balls dirty”. Then we’d have to make a quick choice and buy it.