Listen to Lou

"Gary S. Simon" <garscosi RemoveThis @thisisatypo.pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:garscosi-1718B8.07204412072007@news.west.earthlink.net...
> In article <46956c26.68213078 RemoveThis @news.verizon.net>,
> Hank <ahsv RemoveThis @GARBAGEphilipkdick.com.invalid> wrote:
>
>
>> To me, softball was meant to be played without a glove. That's the
>> difference
>> between it and baseball. That's it's raison d'etre. 12 inch softball is
>> "baseball lite"; 16 inch softball is... well... softball.

Growing up near Pulaski Park we played "Line Ball" (we called it "fast
pitch" played in the totally unused tennis courts), and always had to
contend with the softball game going on just outside the tennis court fence
("homers" were sometimes not thrown back). But we knew the lineups and
batted as the players did (rightie, leftie, batting stance, etc.). Brings
back loads of memories.

Chip
 >> Stay informed about: Listen to Lou 

I spent a good port of my childhood summers playing pinners, which
involved the player "at bat" throwing the ball against the curb* and the
player in the field tried to catch the ricochet before it landed. If
the ball landed safely, halfway across the street was a single, the
short strip of grass across the street was a double, the sidewalk across
the street was a triple and past the sidewalk was a home run.

When "Superballs" were invented, the "park" changed, the boundaries
and teams were expanded, and "outfielders" were positioned on the roof
of the house across the street. That lasted about a day, when someone's
mother saw what we were doing.



_________________________________________________________________________
* Until I was about twenty, I didn't know the word "curb". I thought
it was "curve" because that's how the curbs were shaped in my
neighborhood..
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"Gary S. Simon" <garscosi.RemoveThis@thisisatypo.pipeline.com> wrote in
news:garscosi-F83443.22095612072007@news.west.earthlink.net:

>
> I spent a good port of my childhood summers playing pinners,
> which
> involved the player "at bat" throwing the ball against the curb*
> and the player in the field tried to catch the ricochet before
> it landed. If the ball landed safely, halfway across the street
> was a single, the short strip of grass across the street was a
> double, the sidewalk across the street was a triple and past the
> sidewalk was a home run.

I used to play pinners all the time, but we didn't use the curb, we
threw the ball against the front steps of whoevers house we were at.
It was a great game because you could also play by yourself by
whipping the ball from a distance. My pinners career ended when a
ball bounced back off the steps and went through the front window of
my house (the window was closed at the time).

We used to play another game called rubber which was just baseball in
the middle of the street with a rubber ball; 3-4 on a team or however
many people were around, no gloves and lots of dodging of parked cars
and occasionally a moving one.
 >> Stay informed about: Listen to Lou 

>
> Played with a "Spaldin'" or pink Spalding ball.
>
Wealled it "hit 'em out" and it was played in the gangways of the houses.
Lots of skinned knuckles going for the balls and the ultimate was playing
with a pink Spaulding ball (although they weren't known by any particular
name...just that you had to play "deep"). Always tried for the point (made
where the riser and the land met). How 'bout pitching pennies and Duncan
yoyo contests?

Chip
 >> Stay informed about: Listen to Lou 

In article <M_Dli.7019$tj6.4451@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
"Chip Kozy" <chipkozy DeleteThis @earthlink.net> wrote:

> How 'bout pitching pennies


I took twenty-nine cents off my big brother the one time I played,
but our father daid I had to give it back because I wasn't allowed to
gample with money I hadn't earned.

My father taught me a game combining a rubber ball and the space
between cement sidewalk slabs. A coin is placed on the space and
players on opposite sides take turns trying to hit it. Hitting it is
worth a point, flipping it over is worth five.
 >> Stay informed about: Listen to Lou 

"Hank" <ahsv DeleteThis @GARBAGEphilipkdick.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:4697ad30.66099953@news.verizon.net...
> Rumor has it that Michael Lanasa put forth the following:
>
>>"Gary S. Simon" <garscosi DeleteThis @thisisatypo.pipeline.com> wrote in
>>news:garscosi-F83443.22095612072007@news.west.earthlink.net:
>>
>>>
>>> I spent a good port of my childhood summers playing pinners,
>>> which
>>> involved the player "at bat" throwing the ball against the curb*
>>> and the player in the field tried to catch the ricochet before
>>> it landed. If the ball landed safely, halfway across the street
>>> was a single, the short strip of grass across the street was a
>>> double, the sidewalk across the street was a triple and past the
>>> sidewalk was a home run.
>>
>>I used to play pinners all the time, but we didn't use the curb, we
>>threw the ball against the front steps of whoevers house we were at.
>
> Yes, same here, we used the front steps and not the curb. We also called a
> baseball a "league" for some reason back then.

Don't know how old you are, but in the late 40's and 50's in my
neighborhood, we referred to softball as "baseball" and baseball as
"league". The 12 inch softball game was called "girl's baseball" or "kitty
ball". When we did play "league" and got a pick-up umpire to call balls and
strikes, he, of course, didnt have any equipment and stood behind the
pitcher. In the parks on the north side, most diamonds were meant for
softball. For instance, my park was Hamlin Park, and there were 3 softball
diamonds and 1 league diamond. There was no little league there at that
time, so rarely did you see a full baseball team playing in the park.

As long as we're waxing nostalgic, when 7 or 8 of us would go over to the
park to play softball, we would often play something we called "Peggy
Shove-Up" or "Peggy Push-Up". It was really an individual game. One of the
players would be batter, and the rest were fielders. We would leave our
fielding positions to come in to bat in a set rotation. "Pitcher's hands
out." Maybe one or, at most, two infielders. No more than 2
outfielders---never a right fielder, except if the rare lefty came up.

Most of our softball was played on the streets or in the alleys. You
learned how to be a good dead-center field hitter. Enough of that. Ancient
history to most of you.
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On 2007-07-10 11:06:09 -0700, Bubbamike_01.RemoveThis@yahoo.com said:

> Oh and who is the perfect stathead manager? Ken Macha?

Dave Bilas
=;-p


G
 >> Stay informed about: Listen to Lou 

In article <4697ad30.66099953.TakeThisOut@news.verizon.net>,
Hank <ahsv.TakeThisOut@GARBAGEphilipkdick.com.invalid> wrote:


> We also called a
> baseball a "league" for some reason back then.


"Hard" baseballs generally bore a stamp as a regulation "little
league", or "major league" call. Most of our games were played with
rubber (but not hollow) balls.
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Michael Lanasa <nospam.DeleteThis@nospam.com> wrote:
> Hank <ahsv.DeleteThis@GARBAGEphilipkdick.com.invalid> wrote in
> news:4695101b.44650484@news.verizon.net:
>
> > Rumor has it that Gary S. Simon put forth the following:
> >
> >> When I introduced Chicago's softball to friends at college,
> >> they were amazed that such a thing existed.
> >
> > Same here. And try buying/finding a 16 inch ball in Texas.
> > I don't understand why it's not played elsewhere; 12 inch
> > "softball" is popular here in Dallas, but it requires everyone
> > to own mitts. With the 16 inch, you can keep the ball and bat in
> > your trunk and be ready to play a game at a moment's notice...
> > no other equipment required.
>
> Beer.

Bah. Kegs.

And in high school, we used to play ragball in the gym when it rained
during PE.


G

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