Category Archives: Spaldeen games

Growing up in South Philly,…

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Growing up in South Philly, the pimple ball was indispensible. You couldn’t play the street games without it: Stickball (aka Fastball), Halfball, Hit the Penny, Chink, Wallball, Wireball, Babies in the Air. I find it difficult to explain to my kids just what a pimple ball was. I wish I had saved one to show them. The thing I found most interesting about it was when you pressed your index finger hard on the top of the ball and throw it hard releasing it so that it’s trajectory was toward the ground, it would almost float as it sped toward it’s target. I’ve seen guys throw them almost the length of a city block where the ball made the entire trip 6 inches off the ground.

Anyone know where I can…

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Anyone know where I can get a real Pensie Pinkie? I have the official NYC “factory” stickball bat (the one you bought in the corner candy store with the black grip tape around one end) and a spalding but I need a Pensie Pinkie to complete the set. Thanks Fred

Slight local variation on…

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Slight local variation on “Suicide” in my area (Malden, MA, near Boston, at Forestdale Elementary): No one was ever out of the game for good–it went on until recess was over or everyone was bored. People just sort of came and went. You throw the ball against the wall. If someone catches the fly that person becomes the thrower. Otherwise you keep throwing. If someone touches it on the fly without catching it, (s)he runs for the wall while whoever happens to pick up the ball tries to peg him/her before (s)he reaches it. If the runner gets pegged, (s)he has to sit out until someone else gets pegged. This was not too long ago (1994, 1995). I just saw it as a more complex Off the Wall (also a great game).

Many things come to mind…

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Many things come to mind when I think of skelly. Here are a few: 1)New Jersey, 1964. We stopped at Tony’s Hot Dogs near lake Hopatcong on a Sunday as I recall. I asked the man behind the counter, actually my dad asked the man, if we could have some bottlecaps. I guess some meant all because he filled up a couple of paper bags full. It was a great ride home as a 7 year old digging out all of the cork and couldn’t wait to show my friends my motherlode of caps. 2)I can still remember the smell of melted crayons in my friend’s garage as we readied our bottlecaps for action. We lived in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn and if it wasn’t stickball or Spud it was all day skelly marathons. 3)About 1970 or thereabouts during my last glory days as a pre-teen and the end of skelly as a pasttime, I pulled one of the biggest miscues of my life, to that point. My dad had just bought me a new pair of Pro Keds and I proceeded to wear out the sides in a matter of days due to several skellythons. Needless to say, it was back to discount sneakers for me. I wish this generation could experience all of the great street games that I grew up with in Brooklyn and Queens.

Didn’t see anyone here from…

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Didn’t see anyone here from my Brooklyn… I think that is cause most of the people are still there saying, “Yeah I live in Brooklyn, so F***ing What???” Since I was born (Brighton Beach 1968) till I left (Williamsburg 1999) I lived in Brooklyn all my life. Most of my childhood I lived in the Sheepshead Bay area, From Kings Highway to Graves End to the Bay. Man, it was hard, fun, wild, sad and wonderful. So much to say about it, for the things everyone remembers Wed. fireworks (think it was wed. or maybe Thurs.) at Coney, to the things people would like to forget, like seeing a black guy get his ass kicked, just because he was black or for that matter, me getting my ass kicked cause my friend had a big mouth. Learned a lot growing up there about people and life. I can’t see myself having grown up anywhere else. Miss being young there, skelly and Peas and butter, asses up, off the wall, Also, off the wall in mellet park, kick the can, ringaleavio, War, red rover, all the different tag games, the local drug store that sold the best eggcreams, Wonderful Mr. Iseman (hope I’m spelling it right) who used to run a few movies theaters in Brooklyn like the Kingsway and fortway, who used to let me in for nothing cause my brothers used to work there, to getting my first job that Joe’s Pizza on ave. U (that was a good slice), BLOCK PARTIES!!! Remember those?????? Wow… man… Halloween in Bklyn was always a blast, there was the house on AVE X and 15th or something and they alwasy put on a show, then you have 4th of July, where some blocks you couldn’t even get through because if the big fire in the middle of the street with the mats and block busters going off (got a few wax loads in my gut, from time to time). Anyone remember Sheepshead Bay Roller disco? How about Romeo and Juliet’s Disco? All the bars in Bay Ridge? Calm houses at the Bay? Spumoni Gardens? Man, I can go on and on. I’ll tell you, from 1974 when I was only 6 to about 1988 when I was 18, was some of the best times and the worst I have ever had and I miss it all.

I am the current President…

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I am the current President of The New York Emperor’s Stickball League, Inc. (NYESL) located in the Bronx. We have been in existence 16 years now where the Florida Kings with Barbara and the Pizzaroz boys; the San Diego Knights with Bobby and Paul Ortiz, Willie Blas, and Jim Strickland; the Puerto Rico Tainos with Pepin and Noble and the various other teams from the tri-state area have become and will always be considered extended family to me on a personal level and to the members of my organization on a competitive level. We are always trying to increase awareness of the game we have all grown to love so much. This summer, 2001, we will start, for the first time ever, the first organized children’s stickball league. With funding from the NYC Children’s Services and assistance from the Bronx YMCA and radio talk show host Curtis Sliwa and the volunteer efforts of the members of NYESL, the dream of reintroducing the game of stickball to a new generation will become a reality. Check out our website, www.nyesl.org, for updates on this and other events going on in the world of stickball.

I grew up in Highbridge,…

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I grew up in Highbridge, 1944 -1966. Attended Sacred Heart, Manhattan prep and Fordham, then off to Vietnam and maturity!. It is impossible to explain to someone who didn’t exprience it what growing up in the 50’s – 60’s Bronx neighborhoods was like. I still remember the “checker” games we played on the sidewalk boards. Box ball and off the point with a pink “Spauldine” (25 cents!!) were simple games that I hope are recorded somewhere . George, 1210 Woodcrest 3C

As A kid we played a very…

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As A kid we played a very fast moving addictive game called Zelball or Zalball. Essentially it was the same as tether ball but was played with a tennis ball on a heavy cord and solid hardwood rackets with a wrist strap. Does anyone know what I am talking about? Does this game still exist under another name perhaps? Where can I buy it or where is it played? Any history or references would be appreciated. This was a commercially available game since the new paddles had the company name imprinted on them.

PS 66 in Richmond Hill Queens…

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PS 66 in Richmond Hill Queens had everything from punchball, stickball, slapball (“Slap”). basketball, off the wall, asses up, ringelevio, coco-monster, chinese, handball, whiffleball, errors, 5 boxes, hit the penny, strikeouts, to softball. I even remember the “non athletic” kids playing checkers, chess, or cards off in some corner. Out in the street were skelly games, I Declare War, Tops, and kids doing unbelievable things with yo-yos. Soemtimes we would use nearby Forest park fo ringelevio…and of course one of the Queens meccas, Victory Field. What memories. This experience of playing led me to my wonderful profession – a Physical Educator.