Stickball (street game)

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Stickball in New York

Stickball is a street game similar to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City and Philadelphia. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, typically a spaldeen, pensy pinky, high bouncer or tennis ball. The rules come from baseball and are modified to fit the situation. For example, a manhole cover may be used as a base, or buildings for foul lines. The game is a variation of stick and ball games dating back to at least the 1750s. This game was widely popular among youths during the 20th century until the 1980s.

Variants[edit]

Kids playing stickball in Havana, 1999

In fungo, the batter tosses the ball into the air and hits it on the way down or after one or more bounces.[1] Another variant is Vitilla, a popular variation of stickball played primarily in the Dominican Republic and areas in the United States with large Dominican populations.

Stickball in popular culture[edit]

  • In a scene from the 1976 movie Rocky, a group of youths play halfball (a variant of stickball) on the streets of Philadelphia.[2] In the 1979 sequel Rocky II, the main character himself plays stickball/halfball in one scene.[3]
  • The season 4 episode, "Lisa's First Word", of the animated series The Simpsons has a scene taking place in the Lower East Side of Springfield (visualized like a typical 1930s urban New York City neighborhood) where a boy says to his friends if they want to play stickball and they agree; instead of actually playing stickball, the group of kids head over to an arcade and play a video game of the sport.
  • White Collar TV series (Episode 2.02 - "Need To Know") protagonist Neil Coffrey comes up with a clever plan to create a park in honor of the fictional boy Timmy Nolan, who loved to play the old-fashioned game of stickball.

Films[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Stickball Basics". Streetplay.com. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  2. ^ "Rocky". www.awesomefilm.com. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  3. ^ "1979 Topps Rocky II #3 Stickball Champ! | Trading Card Database". www.tcdb.com. Retrieved 2022-08-27.