OT: Once Upon A Time or Do You Remember When?

[and one]

I do. I used them to practice my fielding- I'd throw it against the brick side of the house for hours. Never tried hitting one though.

So they existed and aren't a false memory!

There were always balls for all sports to be had although I don't remember anyone getting new ones - certainly not me. My elementary school was across the street from where I lived and had s baseball field and s b'ball court of sorts. The school was two stories and the roof caught a fair number of balls. The janitor would occasionally give us balls he collected. If our ball ended up on the roof we could climb up a big chunky copper downspout to retrieve it and any others up there.

Since I'm in the house for the day I'll continue. Behind the school was a 25 yard wide lawn, bordered by a sidewalk and then the ball field (covered in fine black cinder installed by sadistic or clueless adults). At the far end of the lawn was another walk, then 20 yards of grass, then a 6 foot retaining wall on the top of which was a narrow grassy strip and then a chain link fence. A game we often played with three people had a batter stand at one end of the school and hit a ball toward the walk/grass/wall and fence. Any caught fly ball was an out. A grounder caught in front of the sidewalk was an out. A muffed grounder or one caught in back of the walk was a single. Hitting the retaining wall on one bounce a double, and hitting the wall on the fly a triple. Over the wall a home run. Over the fence meant run as that often involved hitting a parked car.

 

[Carnac]

the Automat in NYC.
Cousin Brucie, who may still be around.
2-hand set shots.
Mays, Mantle or Snider?
Estes Kefauver( loved that name)
the Carden Reading Method- anyone else learn to read in the 40s, 50s in N.Y., N.J. using this? don't have a clue why I thought of that.
Dave Garroway, Jack Lescoulie

Even though I didn't care for the Giants, Willie Mays was/is/and will forever be my favorite MLB player. He was a 5 point/tool player.

"Maybe you've heard the term "Five Tool Player" before and wondered what that meant. Or maybe you know the term, but want to learn how to achieve that lofty title. When I was a kid, I remember the first time that I heard someone use it. I didn't know exactly what it meant, but I knew that I wanted to be one - a five tool player that is. So, what are the five tools in baseball?

Simply put, the five tools are the categories that scouts use to break down a player's abilities on the field. If you rate highly across all five tools, you're known as a five tool player and you're showered with love, money and respect.

It should be noted that this applies to position players mostly, and not pitchers. Pitchers have a different scale with which they are rated." Most major leaguers have at least 3 of the five, other wise, they get get to the majors.

The Five Tools in Baseball Are:

1. Speed
2. Arm Strength
3. Fielding Ability
4. Hitting for Average
5. Hitting for Power

There were several other 5 tool players such as Roberto Clemente (Pittsburgh Pirates). Lots of guys had "brute strength", but no speed, e.g., Harmon Killebrew, Frank Howard, Dave Parker and Willie McCovey. Willie Stargell (twice), Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Pizza, and Mark McGwire all hit a ball completely out of Dodger stadium into the parking lot. The longest being Stargell's 506' blast over the right field visitor's bullpen in 1969. That ball is probably still bouncing.

 

[Steelerone]

When I was 15 I worked a gentleman named "George"who owned one of the pool rooms in New Ken. (In Pa.) After school he would give me an empty cigar box and I would go up and down all the stores on 4th and 5th ave. Men and women would give me various amounts of money with a white sheet of paper with a number from one to one 999 written on it. I'd take it back to him and later that afternoon, after the stock market report came out (the final three numbers were the numbers for that day) I'd answer the phone and people would ask, "Whats Ralph Kiner Hitting?" It gave me free access to the pool tables, concession stand, and twenty five dollars a week. Every person alive should have been able to experience the 50's.

 

[Steelerone]

So they existed and aren't a false memory!

There were always balls for all sports to be had although I don't remember anyone getting new ones - certainly not me. My elementary school was across the street from where I lived and had s baseball field and s b'ball court of sorts. The school was two stories and the roof caught a fair number of balls. The janitor would occasionally give us balls he collected. If our ball ended up on the roof we could climb up a big chunky copper downspout to retrieve it and any others up there.

Since I'm in the house for the day I'll continue. Behind the school was a 25 yard wide lawn, bordered by a sidewalk and then the ball field (covered in fine black cinder installed by sadistic or clueless adults). At the far end of the lawn was another walk, then 20 yards of grass, then a 6 foot retaining wall on the top of which was a narrow grassy strip and then a chain link fence. A game we often played with three people had a batter stand at one end of the school and hit a ball toward the walk/grass/wall and fence. Any caught fly ball was an out. A grounder caught in front of the sidewalk was an out. A muffed grounder or one caught in back of the walk was a single. Hitting the retaining wall on one bounce a double, and hitting the wall on the fly a triple. Over the wall a home run. Over the fence meant run as that often involved hitting a parked car.

As I recall a wooden bat was only a few dollars. Try buying one now. If we didn't have enough players right field was out.

 

[Steelerone]

......and the Dodgers played in Brooklyn; the Giants in New York!?

I wanted to put a contract out on Walter O'Malley. I still collect any Dodger card I can prior to the move.

 

[MSGRET]

* Jack Paar, the original host of the Tonight Show
* Dog's and Sud's where you could a frosted mug of root beer and tenderloin sandwich for $1.50 delivered to your car by female car hops on roller skates
* NFL football on Sundays with only ONE announcer who talked for maybe 15 minutes during the whole game.
* Howdy Doody on NBC
* The Lone Ranger
* Gunsmoke
Sigh, how I wish for the simpler things in life.

 

[Steelerone]

VOD, I remember getting out of boot came in 1954 and going to Camp Gieger. Went out to our first liberty to the movies and they were showing "Men At War" with Aldo Ray. Jacksonville, N.C. had twenty tatoo parlors, seventeen bars and a Baptist church. You could get a milkshake sized cup of shrimp with five hush puppies for fifty cents.

 

[Steelerone]

* Jack Paar, the original host of the Tonight Show
* Dog's and Sud's where you could a frosted mug of root beer and tenderloin sandwich for $1.50 delivered to your car by female car hops on roller skates
* NFL football on Sundays with only ONE announcer who talked for maybe 15 minutes during the whole game.
* Howdy Doody on NBC
* The Lone Ranger
* Gunsmoke
Sigh, how I wish for the simpler things in life.

Our fantasy was Princess Summerfallwintespring.

 

[Steelerone]

When I quit smoking in 1976, cigarettes at the Navy Exchange were only $.20 a pack, sans the pennies...

When I started in 54 Pall Malls were a dollar a carton at the PX.. When I quit they were fifty cents a pack. Wish I had never started.

 

[Steelerone]

What a great post this was. Sometimes we forget the things that short of shaped us when we were kids. To me the most important thing was that we were allowed to be kids. No social media, no facebook, no tictok, no instagram. We had to communicate with each other through speech and had to actually interact on a personal level. If you wanted to say something to someone you had to say it to their face. If I sat down at the table and there was something I didn't like I kept my mouth shut and ate as little of it as possible. If I wanted to go to a movie or buy something I asked once. If the answer was no that was the end of it. Things change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst.

 

[CL82]

If I wanted to go to a movie or buy something I asked once. If the answer was no that was the end of it.

Of course back then parents didn't hedge. The no was clear and unequivocal. Now days I think parents are inclined to hedge more and thus kids lobby more.

 

[Zanzman]

As I recall a wooden bat was only a few dollars. Try buying one now. If we didn't have enough players right field was out.

If they batted leftie left field was an out

 

[boontonbomber]

Happy Felton's Knothole Gang!
Gladys Gooding
The Dodger's Sym-phony

 

[Centerstream]

Of course back then parents didn't hedge. The no was clear and unequivocal. Now days I think parents are inclined to hedge more and thus kids lobby more.

My siblings didn't get a clear "no" from my mother, we would get a "we'll see", knowing it meant no. Not sure why that was.

 

[Steelerone]

Happy Felton's Knothole Gang!
Gladys Gooding
The Dodger's Sym-phony

Gil batting cleanup followed by the Duke. Roy behind the plate and PeeWee at Short. Carl in right and Jackie at second. And every one of them in the HOF. That's not even mentioning Don Drysdale, Preacher or a young lefthander nicknamed Sandy. If these guys were the team today Gates,Bezos or Buffet coudn't afford them.

 

[Steelerone]

My siblings didn't get a clear "no" from my mother, we would get a "we'll see", knowing it meant no. Not sure why that was.

Just shows to go, Center. "We'll see" gave us a ray of hope. It meant they would give it some thought. Probably depending on the price or time involved.

I remember the birthday when I got to upgrade my clear white Gameboy Pocket for the clear purple Gameboy Color and my mom splurged for a set of rechargeable batteries. I was living the dream.

You guys are oooooooolllllddddd.

Yea, but we're heeeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeee

 

[Steelerone]

As they were here. It was always shocking to watch the sparks flying as the ran along. I remember their double doors in the back controlled by the drivers.

That's all they had in Pittsburgh, Jordy. My Uncle was a streetcar conductor. He would stop by our house in his uniform. I was about sever or eight and I thought it was the coolest job in the world.

 

[Steelerone]

Getting your mouth washed out with soap when you said a swear word.
Having your milk delivered to your house, and then returning the empty bottles to the delivery man (yes, everyone I ever saw was a man).
You had to walk up to the television to change to one of the other 3 or 4 channels and to adjust the volume.
Home music came on vinyl.
Every store was closed on Sunday.
No one complained about Daylight Savings Time. It was just accepted.
Station wagons had a rear facing third row of seats and the rear window went up and down.

And they still had Model T's around. My Uncle had one and we would get in the "rumble seat" and he would drive around and then stop and buy us a frozen custard. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Sometimes you forget about just how much fun you had when you were a kid. Like our parents said, "Wait till you get older". They were smarter than we gave them credit for at the time.

 

[Steelerone]

"Sister Ita rapping me across my knuckles with a ruler. "

and if she was realllly pissed she hit with the ruler on edge. I did 8 years penance in a Catholic grammer school more than 60 years ago and I still think that nuns were the meanest, nastiest people on the planet.

I remember how jealous we were when the kids from St. Mary's got all the Catholic holidays off. Maybe not a bad trade off.

 

[Steelerone]

Does anyone remember "Secret Decoder Rings"? I had one or two but I cannot remember for what. But when I decoded the the secret it was a let down as it was an advertisement for a product.

VOD, I remember those rings. I also sent away for the "Lone Ranger Atomic Ring". General Mills in Michigan. Three boxtops and fifty cents. I got it two years later in the mail.

 

[Steelerone]

"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine".

Carnac, I remember when Kool Aid came out. After pouring it into the pitcher I loved to lick the package. Ovaltine was much better cold than hot.

 

[Steelerone]

I remember dish night at the local movies,moms that collected the dishes gave us kids the fare to go to the movie and bring a dish home for them. Same theater charged a quarter admittancesat. Afternoons for kids.
snow brought out the town trucks to spread coal clinkers onthesnowy roads thereby making them useless for sledding. Penny candy. Dining counters in the local 5&dime.
Bus fare was a nickel and you could ride all over town!, even get a transfer free. Even take you to the beach. Buy a used car for $75, but it needed brakes. Lemon ice and a small bag of fresh popped pop corn loaded with butter for $.20 across the st from the movie.

Those "dish's" are what we now call depression glass and some of them, especially the Westmoreland glassware, are worth a small fortune. I started collecting them years ago and gave them to our daughter. She put them in a glass case. All I think of when I look at them are two westerns, six cartoons, and a newsreel.

 

[BBallF]

During the time I collected BB cards and traded then between friends, the most rarest card that I encountered was a Bob Rogers (LA Angeles catcher) 1962 rookie card. This was the card (I'll never forget it):

View attachment 52118

One guy in our group had one, and would not trade or sell it for anything (believe me, we tried). I never saw another Bob Rogers card. Ralph G. was the envy of the group. He had something the rest of us wanted, but couldn't have/get. We all prided ourselves with our collection, as most collectors do. At the time, I would have given a testicle for that card. It shows you how times have changed.

How many of you still have some your old baseball cards? I still have a few mine. I don't care how many times I clean out the garage, THEY STAY!!! They have no value to anyone but me. My wife would throw them out if I let her. I still have a lot of my old Archie, Batman, Iron man and Mad magazines as well that I'm saving them to pass along to my grand kids after I transition. They have absolutely no concept of the possible monetary value of those collectibles, or the emotional attachment I have to them.

I told them to sell them for whatever they can get for them. Regardless of the direction I'll go once I leave here, I won't need them where I'm going. Some of those cards, comics and magazines are from the 1950's.

I'm sure your direction will be up and not down ( UCONN fans only go up!) and maybe you will get that card when you do!

 

[BBallF]

If you're in for some real memories, check out: Old Fashioned and Retro Candy - Home of Candy you ate as a kid®
Any candy you can think of all the back to early 1900's!

This is quite possibly the most important piece of information ever posted on The Boneyard. The 1950s clearly is the winner!

 

[donalddoowop]

So they existed and aren't a false memory!

There were always balls for all sports to be had although I don't remember anyone getting new ones - certainly not me. My elementary school was across the street from where I lived and had s baseball field and s b'ball court of sorts. The school was two stories and the roof caught a fair number of balls. The janitor would occasionally give us balls he collected. If our ball ended up on the roof we could climb up a big chunky copper downspout to retrieve it and any others up there.

Since I'm in the house for the day I'll continue. Behind the school was a 25 yard wide lawn, bordered by a sidewalk and then the ball field (covered in fine black cinder installed by sadistic or clueless adults). At the far end of the lawn was another walk, then 20 yards of grass, then a 6 foot retaining wall on the top of which was a narrow grassy strip and then a chain link fence. A game we often played with three people had a batter stand at one end of the school and hit a ball toward the walk/grass/wall and fence. Any caught fly ball was an out. A grounder caught in front of the sidewalk was an out. A muffed grounder or one caught in back of the walk was a single. Hitting the retaining wall on one bounce a double, and hitting the wall on the fly a triple. Over the wall a home run. Over the fence meant run as that often involved hitting a parked car.

When we could not but a ball we made one from tape rolled into a ball. We also played a game called Indian or Indo ball that required no running.