In our neighborhood in Queens we called it single, double, triple. There was no batter. The person up threw the Spaldeen against the side of a building (no stoop) and it would ricochet toward us into the “field” (cement and dirt). Of course, with a really good shot, we would all shout single, double, triple, home run! as we all scrambled in vain for the ball.
We use play a game called pinners. I don’t know where it got its name but it was a lot like stoopball. The batter would throw a ball at a decorative ledge on the side of a build. Fielders would stand in the street and try to catch the ball before it landed in the street. Past the curb on a fly and in front of the 1st player – base hit; double past the 1st player; triple if it hit the car across the street; home run if it landed across the street. Ground balls were an out. We played with 2 or more players and everyone batted. We played with a tennis ball or a pink ball.
Mick & Pez, You guys have done a service for mankind (at least for Brooklynkind) with this website. I left Brooklyn (Bath Beach/Bensonhurst) almost 55 years ago and I still remember the joys of stickball, punchball, handball, Chinese handball, boxball, Chinese boxball, skully, land, ring-a-levio, three feet off to Germany, odds & evens, knucks, etc. I tried to pass some of these on to my son, but things are just not the same in the suburbs of Cleveland.
To Mick- Yes, this is a game we play now. We made it up and are very proud of it! Our ball is a Wiffleball covered in athletic tape. THIS GAME IS HARDER THAN YOU THINK! If you would like a set of rules e-mail Mike @ dukefan08 [at] yahoo [dot] com Thank you for your interest in our game!
Here in Columbus ohio we play a type of game called “Foxboro Style Stickball”. This version of stickball is played with all four bases and with one out. Two of our most highly regarded records in a single game are 40 HR by one player and 26 scoreless innings by a single pitcher. The HR wall is in straight away center field and is 35 feet high. The 8 foot wall in right field is a real shot and has only been acomplished a handfull of times. The left field is about 2 miles it seems like and has only been reached five times. We play every day and have been kicked out of four fields and almost been arrested three times. What memories!