I grew up in the South Bronx during the seventies, less than a half mile from Yankee Stadium. We played a version of stoopball where there were delineations across the street at different heights of the building which indicated singles, doubles, triples, and homers. Outs were only made by catching the ball in the air, or by catching three balls on the bounce (or, three strikes.)
Grew up in Port Richmond… probably the last generation to ever play these games. We played stickball at Jones school.. it was like our Yankee Stadium. We even made it on the cover of the Daily News when MLB was on strike !!! We played stickball like religion ( we used tennis balls) I have 2 kids now… and the young kids these days have NO idea how to play outside… whatever happened to the GOOD OLD DAYS… they will all be missed !
Grew up in Port Richmond… probably the last generation to ever play these games. We played stickball at Jones school.. it was like our Yankee Stadium. We even made it on the cover of the Daily News when MLB was on strike !!! We played stickball like religion ( we used tennis balls) I have 2 kids now… and the young kids these days have NO idea how to play outside… whatever happened to the GOOD OLD DAYS… they will all be missed !
Hey,165th and Girard here,from birth in 55 till 67.PS 114,church at Christ the King on Marcy PL. Seein all this stuff here brings back lots of memories. Playin baseball at the park across River Ave,I even remember the Good Humor guy with the cart sellin ice cream in the park.Even using the roof tops to get from my bldg 1063 Girard to the other end of the block. I think I’ve got more time in Yankee Stadium then most players,LOL.Remember when box seats were $3.50 and the bleachers were $.75?
I grew up in Hicksville, out on Long Island. We had a serious stickball league, stats and all, sometimes announcers throughout the sixties and seventies. I can remember both the Spaldings and the Pencie Pinkies, and somewhere in the seventies, the Pencie Pinkies that came out were almost like superballs by comparison. They were more solid, weighed more, and went further, and as someone said, they probably lasted longer. We used to fantasize that our street field was Yankee Stadium. We had an upperdeck of tall maples, a short right field fence, a deep, deep centerfield fence, and three trees out there which we referred to as the monuments. I’m looking for stickballs and stickball bats for my kids and the neighborhood kids to get something going this summer. If anyone knows where I can order them online, contact me at Hopefully, I’ll find them at the store listed above. See ya.
My dad immigrated as a farm boy from Patillas PR in the early 1920s’ and saw Babe Ruth and Murderers’ row play in Yankee stadium. Dads’ a magnetic and fun personality who could always make us laugh. He’s 87 now still smokes those huge cigars and going strong. He was an ex-boxer and a welterweight along with my uncle who went professional. He boxed “two a days” in three round tournaments for the diamond gloves in ebbetts field and the golden gloves in madison square garden and got his picture in the Daily News more than once. In the Bronx growing up, me and my four brothers tried his patience more than we should have. My Dad never hit us kids and was a strong but gentle spirit who used humor to win you over and just cracked us up..