I GREW UP IN THE 50’S, IN EDENWALD PROJECTS, 225TH LACONIA AVENUE. WITH 2 OLDER BROTHERS AND ONE GIRL[ME],PLAYED ALOT OF STICKBALL [ WITH THE SPALDING OF COURSE] AND HAD THE HANGERS READY. MY NAME IS SONIA SANTIAGO BROTHERS:JUAN SANTIAGO EDDIE SANTIAGO BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE, BEST ERA THERE’LL EVER BE. OF COURSE I LOVE MY DOO-WOPS OH, IF I COULD ONLY TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME
as a kid in the Bronx i played stickball, handball and slugs. what fun it was to play stickball. we played against the wall – fast pitch, one bounce and the 3 sewer home run derby. i remember playing fast pitch with the coke factory behind us. a hit was anything not caught after one bounce. an out was over metal mess fence, over roof and the person who hit it there had to get it. sometimes the workers in the coke plant had windows open for air and watching us kids play. if ball went through open window it was an out. fast pitch and one bounce was two strikes per out. left the Bronx and came to Worcester ma. everyone was into hardball and never heard of stickball. still love stickball at age 62. in wheelchair now but want to play. would love to start a league here. any ideas?
I played stickball on 61 street between 6th and 7th ave in Brooklyn in the late 50’s. Home plate was either the sewer near the Gooch’s house, or up by the lot near sixth ave. The latter was better because the outfield spread out at sixth ave. The leaders on the apartment house were the foul posts. The outfielders had to dodge traffic on the ave. Spaldeens were better. They didn’t egg as easy as the pennsy pinky. Max’s candy store on seventh ave would let us test bounce the balls to get the best one. Spaldeen 25 cents. Pennsy pinky 15 cents. Remember when they started to sell stickball bats with the black tape for grip. No more broom handles.
I see the messages above about Charlie Ballard, and the one way up top about my Dad Vito Giannone…… it makes me think about Charlie, and John Stephens, and my Dad. Those were great days, watching you guys play…and laugh…and live! You 3, and so many more of the oldtime stickball players, were all so great ! ! ! Thinking of ALL of you today….Happy 77th Birthday Dad – Feb 3rd, 1933.