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.
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.
I grew up a suburb kid in California, have heard of stickball, never played. I loved reading about all your fond memories of these games, makes me wish I had been around to play too. I would like to guess that the origin of the name Pensie Pinky comes from the fact that the Pennsylvania Keystone was printed on the ball, Pensie might be a nickname for Pennsylvania (?).
Yo Nieves from Booklyn.Much respect to you.But the reason You dont like the spalding is that the ones ther are making now are nothimg like the one from the days.I grew up on the lower east side in nyc in the 70s.The spalding they use to make was made in such a way that you could not squeeze it.If you played stickball or stoop it use to take off.The new ones are nothing like the old ones.If I ever get a hand on a old school ball I will write you and send one to you.Take care Ralph LES
I have to admit, I’ve never met Steve. Before this tradgedy, I hadn’t even known of Steve. But now, whenever I type my own name into a web search, I am reminded of the horrible events of that day. After doing a little research on this site and others, I have come to know what a wonderful man Steve was and how he lived his life, a lover of stickball and of course, giving back to his community and reaching out to others. He truly gives good meaning to name ‘Steve Mercado’ and should not be forgotten for the wonderful life that he lived. With much regards, -Steve M. Mercado, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Of course the spaldeen (especially the much-beloved #4, although #2 was also good) was always better than the pinky, although that pinky could really fly when hit with a bat! Most of you can probably relate, but I wish I could explain to my friends here in the Midwest what it was like growing up on E. 15th St. near Kings Highway in the ’70s. Our street was full of kids and we played all the time: johnny on the pony, stoopball, stickball, hockey on roller skates, scully, red rover, i declare war (losers always “went under the moon”), wiffle ball, ringaleavio. And the games in the schoolyards, like handball, off the wall, paddleball. There’s got to be a million spaldeens on the roof at PS 199 where I went and all the other schools, too. It was like a soap opera, too.
I have been searching for Spaldeens on the web since I got on the web. Today I find they are back! Yippie! I don’t remember the Pensie Pinkie unless they were the solid foam rubber balls that would get gouges taken out of them and you see the spongy inside. I hated them. We played stick ball all over the dead ends of Sutton Place in Manhattan. We hated loosing the Spaldeens in the East River. I remember a teacher in High School that always carried a Spaldeen. He had huge forearms. All day long he would squeeze his Spaldeen. I am heading for a sporting goods store now to find my first spaldeen in 30 years
I grew up on Linden Avenue in Belleville, NJ. My neighborhood friends and I all played punchball with the Pensy Pinkie. They were the best!! Back then it was almost a right of passage as each new generation of street urchin claimed rights to the open spaces between parked cars. As others have said the Spaldeen is harder than the Pensy, so better for stick ball. We used wiffle balls for stickball. We had houses with windows on both sides of the street and parents to answer to when we broke those windows. ( It seems like that happened at least once a year.) The Pensy was a great ball just to practice eye/ hand coordination by yourself. Throw it up as high as you could than catch it. Bounce it while you walked. Bounce it against a wall as you walk and than catch it. Bounce it between yourself and a friend and play catch walking down the street to get a Coke at the corner store. Pop it out in front of you with as much backspin as you could and make it come back to you. See who could bounce it the highest. And don’t forget “Keep Away” when you just had to pester one of your friends who just got a new Pensy. I am now 49 and living in North Carolina. I recently picked up the Pink Ball Book that has a Spaldeen in it. ( The first pink ball I’ve seen in 30 years.) I’ve been using it to play with my 11 year old nephew who had never used a pink ball. He loves it now! I like the Spaldeen a lot but if I could find a Pensy I would buy it.
When I was growing up in the late 50s and early 60s in Bensonhurst Brooklyn, we had own own special stickball field and rules. We hit the ball diagonally across the street. The pitcher threw the ball on a single bounce. He stood on a manhole cover in the center of the intersection of Benson Avenue and Bay 28th Street. Home plate was on the sidewalk in front of the Hebrew School. They did not like us playing there, but we ignored them (even though almost all of us were Jewish). Occasionally the police were called. We would scatter until they left and then would resume the game. Diagonally across the street was the 6 story apartment building where most of us lived. Every grounder or fly ball that was not caught was a single. The only way to get an extra base hit was to hit the ball off the building or onto the building roof. A hit off the 2nd floor was a double, off the 3rd floor a triple, off the 4th floor or higher was a home run. However if the fielder caught the ball on a fly after it hit the building, you were out. It amazes me that we could hit the ball onto the roof of a 6 story building, but every few days somebody would do it. There was a special rule if your batted ball hit the superintendent of our building, who we all hated. That was an automatic grand slam (even if nobody was on base). Our equipment was a “Spaldeen” High Bounce Ball and a broomstick. In later years, thicker professionally made bats began to show up. We called them “tenderizers”. If you used a “tenderizer” it was like current athletes using steroids, you had an unfair advantage. My friends and I would play stickball almost every day the weather was decent. I have great memories of that game.