Hot Peas and Butter…wow…i’d totally forgotten about that game. I remember it as well…but not if you were the one gettin’ whupped! One of many South Bronx games in the 70’s. Thanks for jogging my memory.
yeah i remember that game…..it was kinda rough as i recall
Hot Peas and Butter anyone remember hot peas and butter a kind of a brutal game as I remember it someone would hide a belt from the rest and the search would begin, the object would be to find the belt first, and chase ands smack the rest with the belt untill the got “home” you would be helped by the person who hid the belt by them saying hot or cold as you would search.
I just found this place & it awoke memories that I didn’t know that I had. I think I only played stickball less than a handfull of times. I lived in the Bronx ’til I was 6 & moved to Queens. The street games, OK the ball games didn’t exist in the new surroundings. There were pre made playgrounds & basketball hoops — never could get into that. After looking this site over, I remembered playing & I wanted to play again. I told my 13 & 16 year old daughters about stickball & they were exicted & wanted to play. They invited a friend over each and after going to the dollar store, got a broom (& promptly removed the stick) & a can of tennis balls (sorry, no spauldeens here in Central Connecticut). We played for a couple of hours and everybody, including this overweight 40+ kid, had a blast. Now, my kids want to teach me to play suicide. It sure as hell beats watching TV or watching someone else play video games. Thanks for waking up this kid! Scott Fisher
I never knew it was called a spauldeen until just now. We used to call it “the pink ball”, or “the ball”. In Fairview N.J.,in the 40s and 50s, we played against the firehouse door, which was raised on a track and when closed was sculptured with all kinds of angles to each section. Each kid had a section of the door and up to 6,7 kids could play at one time. The trick was to hit the ball at one of the moldings which would send it in a way it normally would not go. Or you could send it on down the line, or even put english on it and make it carren who knows where. Generations grew up playing hand ball against that fire house door in Fairview N.J. the door is still there, but i don’t see kids playing against it any more. Too much TV I guess. Thanks. Ray Riley
Absolutely! I was very excited to hear recently that Spalding is going to make and sell those wonderful pink balls again. I have not seen NY kids play stickball ( only adults in organized leagues),stoopball and many other creative outdoor games. I hope that will change.
It all depends on what you are exposed to, what is done and if you can derive satisfaction. It is very hard to be satisfied playing an outdoor game, like ball if you are not good at it. It is hard to become good at something which is difficult to practice. Unlike in the past our lives with our children are spent with many more restraints. We don’t generally let our children hang out outside on the street to play with one another. Also, in many neighborhoods there are not so many children just hanging out there to be played with. Most of our children’s activities are scheduled events. Then maybe some impromptu playing occurs on the sidelines, but most things are organized. With video games there is the safety factor which appeals to parents. Our children don’t have lots of video games, and we actually let our kids hang out on the street in front of our house, ride their bikes around the block without constant supervision, but it is unusual. If kids are outside essentially unattended, then they are usually in backyards in the neighborhoods of myself and my peers. I think fun comes in many forms and although we may feel our kids don’t have enough opportunity to just play and create their own games. I watch my own children and they make time to do all sorts of playing and creation even though they have these ridiculous schedules. The other day at baseball an eight year old said to me she wished it were Friday and that the next day would be Saturday and that she would be able to just sleep and eat breakfast lunch and dinner in bed. I felt for the kid. I often feel the same way. Although there were things I was not happy about at eight, I don’t think having to wake up early seven days a week was one of those things. She chose to be in her activities, but even so not sleeping enough is certainly a drag.