OT: - The discovery of Willie Mays, by my 8 year old | Page 3 | The Boneyard

OT: The discovery of Willie Mays, by my 8 year old

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Mays was one of several "bad ball" hitters in the league at that time. Henry Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, Tony Oliva, Elston Howard, Orlando Cepeda and little known Manny Sanquillen (Pittsburgh Pirates) are the ones that immediately come to mind. There were others.
Carnac, I remember watching a game where Manny Sanquillen actually tomahawked a bell out to deep right center for a triple. He was the fastest catcher I've ever seen. And he was the first catcher to spread eagle without being in a sitting position.
 
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Playing catch with my Dad on Long Island, we were big Yankee/Mickey fans, I was starting my Little League days, Dad was throwing me grounders and "Pop-Ups", I caught a Pop Up with one hand, was about to throw it back but my father had his arms down at his sides...., I was quiet, I was getting "The Look", finally he said, "Who do you think you are...., Wille Mays?" Although we were big Mickey fans, my father knew who the better fielder was...Mr. Mays.
 
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Stickball was a big Bronx game as well.
I lived on Decatur Avenue which backed up on Woodlawn cemetery.
in the late 40's early 50's We played stick street ball (like Willie) but also
pitched to boxes across E 211 St (never knew the name), painted on the concrete wall of the cemetery, and hit the spauldeen across a big lot (now filled by another apartment house). I went back to take a peek a few years ago and the boxes are still there.

In Queens (we moved in '52 or 3), my stickball was played in Jewel Ave Park...against the tall wire fence of the handball court. there was a plate conveniently painted for balls and strikes. It was 350-400 feet across the concrete softball field to the far fence...With a Spauldeen, one could quite readily hit it that far.
The staples of my ‘yoot’ [read youth] in the early 50s were chalk and Spaldeens. 90% of our street games involved one or the other, or both, eh?

What’s a "Spaldeen?" Well, a Spaldeen, is a pink rubber ball, the size of a tennis ball without the felt. The name is a corruption of the pronunciation of the company name, Spalding, probably colored by a Noo Yawk City dialect.

Our main beverage in the day wuz “chocolate egg crèmes’ which we bought daily [at least once] from the same ‘candy store’ where we got chalk and our Spaldeens!

Our main game was stickball and its many versions: fungo stickball(grounders), catcher-flier-up, triangle, boxball, one-bounce over a manhole cover, fast-pitch over a manhole cover, etc. If you could hit a Spaldeen over three manhole covers [more than 3 sewers] then you were a local hero!

My favourite stickball iteration was fast-pitch-up-against-a-wall which required only a broomsick, chalk and a Spaldeen. A box is drawn with chalk on the wall which defines the strike zone. About forty feet away, a heavy chalk line is drawn on the ground which designates the mound. The pitcher throws as hard as he can into the box to try to strike out the batter. If he throws four balls outside the batter’s box, the batter is awarded 1st-base. A disputed call is settled if there is chalk on the ball which is wiped clean after every pitch. It only takes a second.

Our favourite fast-pitch venue was PS 65 bcuz it had a big fenced-in courtyard. A single was a ground ball hit past the pitcher/infielders without being caught. A double was a fly ball, hit over the pitcher’s head, without being caught. A home run was a fly ball hit over the 18-foot courtyard fence. A triple was a fly ball that hit the far-away fence and dropped to the ground..

Adding gr8 interest to fast-pitch stickball was running down your favourite lineup from MLB.

My lineup wuz: 1) Alvin Dark 2) Eeddie Stanky 3) Whitey Lockman 4) Monte Irvin 5) Bobby Thomson 6) Willie Mays 7) Don Mueller 8) Wes Westrum 9) and Sal “the Barber”. Guess who?

It should be noted that if you played fast-pitch [with lineups] you had to be a switch-hitter. Thus if Don Mueller was up, you had to bat lefty; if Monte Irvin was up you had to bat righty, eh?



Most of the 40 or 50 street games that we played with chalk and/or Spaldeens were made up on the fly requiring LOTS of imagination and creativity. I doubt if future generations of kids will [ever] be able to reprise that era.
 

Carnac

That venerable sage from the west
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Jim Murray, one of the greatest sports writers of all time.

Yes Sir!!! I use to read his column everyday. He could cover and write about any sport. He had a unique take on baseball and football. I always learned something when I read his columns. He knew ALL of the athletes across the sports landscape, and they all knew him. You didn't refuse and interview request from Jim Murray. Great guy, great sports writer. RIP Jim Murray. :(
 

GemParty

Co~host of the Sliders & Curveballs Podcast
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The staples of my ‘yoot’ [read youth] in the early 50s were chalk and Spaldeens. 90% of our street games involved one or the other, or both, eh?

What’s a "Spaldeen?" Well, a Spaldeen, is a pink rubber ball, the size of a tennis ball without the felt. The name is a corruption of the pronunciation of the company name, Spalding, probably colored by a Noo Yawk City dialect.

Our main beverage in the day wuz “chocolate egg crèmes’ which we bought daily [at least once] from the same ‘candy store’ where we got chalk and our Spaldeens!

Our main game was stickball and its many versions: fungo stickball(grounders), catcher-flier-up, triangle, boxball, one-bounce over a manhole cover, fast-pitch over a manhole cover, etc. If you could hit a Spaldeen over three manhole covers [more than 3 sewers] then you were a local hero!

My favourite stickball iteration was fast-pitch-up-against-a-wall which required only a broomsick, chalk and a Spaldeen. A box is drawn with chalk on the wall which defines the strike zone. About forty feet away, a heavy chalk line is drawn on the ground which designates the mound. The pitcher throws as hard as he can into the box to try to strike out the batter. If he throws four balls outside the batter’s box, the batter is awarded 1st-base. A disputed call is settled if there is chalk on the ball which is wiped clean after every pitch. It only takes a second.

Our favourite fast-pitch venue was PS 65 bcuz it had a big fenced-in courtyard. A single was a ground ball hit past the pitcher/infielders without being caught. A double was a fly ball, hit over the pitcher’s head, without being caught. A home run was a fly ball hit over the 18-foot courtyard fence. A triple was a fly ball that hit the far-away fence and dropped to the ground..

Adding gr8 interest to fast-pitch stickball was running down your favourite lineup from MLB.

My lineup wuz: 1) Alvin Dark 2) Eeddie Stanky 3) Whitey Lockman 4) Monte Irvin 5) Bobby Thomson 6) Willie Mays 7) Don Mueller 8) Wes Westrum 9) and Sal “the Barber”. Guess who?

It should be noted that if you played fast-pitch [with lineups] you had to be a switch-hitter. Thus if Don Mueller was up, you had to bat lefty; if Monte Irvin was up you had to bat righty, eh?



Most of the 40 or 50 street games that we played with chalk and/or Spaldeens were made up on the fly requiring LOTS of imagination and creativity. I doubt if future generations of kids will [ever] be able to reprise that era.

Thanks Jingo. I’m curious to get your feedback on our pod. Let us know your thoughts!
 
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Yes Sir!!! I use to read his column everyday. He could cover and write about any sport. He had a unique take on baseball and football. I always learned something when I read his columns. He knew ALL of the athletes across the sports landscape, and they all knew him. You didn't refuse and interview request from Jim Murray. Great guy, great sports writer. RIP Jim Murray. :(
Hartford, Ct native and a Trinity College alum.
 

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