In Queens their was only 1 playground and that was at P.S. 26. Sure their was others, 73,188, Jewel Ave but only 26 could you play softball, basketball, stickball any kind of ball at night because we had the lights. Even if the parky locked up we had the key to the parky room and turned the lights on ourselves, it was play all nite, or maybe some card games in the empty sand box. Those were the days.
A few Sundays ago, the Foxboro Stickball home run record was broken. 43 HR were hit in ONE GAME by Kyle Winter. The old record, also held by Winter, was 40 HR in a game, set back in July. Kyle hit a “tree shot” which is ranked as one of the longest homers in our history. He padded that with a “second roof” shot, which has only been acomplished a handful of times. The long, enjoyable season ends on November 10th and opening day for the year 2000 has not been scheduled. Visit the Offical Foxboro Stickball Website- www.geocities.com/dukefan08/stickball.html or e-mail the stickballers- foxborostickball [at] oaklandas-fan [dot] com
In the mid to late 1940’s a Spaldeen cost $.19 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I don’t remember Pensie Pinkies – did they come along in the 50’s? Three sewers was a home run. In the 30’s the “big guys” used to play great stick ball games but that stopped when they went to WWII and rubber balls were not avaialable. While most of the guys came back, they went on to other pursuits after the war. Our games were fun, but they never seemed, in my mind, to match-up with those the “big guys” played.
In Queens in the 60’s, we played the five box version of boxball described above. Two players stood with five boxes between them; you would first bounce it once in the box closest to your opponent (your fifth box), and then once in each of your fourth and fifth boxes, and so on. I’m not quite sure if I remember the ping-pong style of two box that Connie describes above. We didn’t play hit the stick, but I do remember playing hit the penny. I think you scored one point if you hit the penny, and two if you flipped it. Players stood with two boxes between them, and put the penny or other coin on the crack between the two boxes. We didn’t like to use nickels because they were heavy and more difficult to flip. :^) This was a mostly a game for younger kids, whereas I remember still playing boxball into early adolescence, when we weren’t playing wiffle ball or stick ball or just hanging out. Another favorite game of childhood was ring-o-levio, which I played from early childhood right through high school. Those later HS games were neighborhood-wide.
i remember it was rumored back in the 70s that a kid from another neighborhood was hit by a ConED truck while playing stickball…noone knew who or where…but for years thereafter, every time a ConEd truck came down our street (and delayed our game)the whole gang of us would howl “BOOOOOOO CONNNNNNEEEEEDDDDDD” and each one after the other bang on the side of the truck as it drove by…then, like nothing had happened, play would resume…
I grew up in Bayside, Queens,My Mom still lives in the same house.It was ringoleevio.I don’t remember thr rule. We also playe stickball with a broomhandle and a spaldeen.We also played punchball.skelly,boxball,stoopball and Chinesehandball The girls and sometimes th boys played Hop scotch,potsie?, jacks. Then there was Johnny on the Pony also known as Buc-Buc. I think all of this is almost gone
For someone growing up in Canarsie in the 60’s, stickball was played in schoolyards (and still is where I live in the Bronx) It allowed two-4 or more kids to play ball. PS 144 and 155 had walls and protected windows. On the wall was a large box, the strike zone. All that was need was a “stickball” bat, sold in a store. Although a broom handle was similar, the store ones were shorter and heavier, much nicer feel. Tennis balls I liked, a bit heavier, more predictable path. I learned to hit up the middle, much safer and less chasing than pulling. Also, I am not a power hitter, it made me much better.