Punchball

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File:Cuba Baseball5 game.jpg
A Baseball5 batter hitting the ball punchball-style

Punchball is a sport spawned by and similar to baseball, but without a pitcher, catcher, or bat.[1][2]

The "batter" essentially plays "fungo" without a bat, bouncing or tossing up the ball and then using a volleyball type approach to put the ball in play, punching the ball with his fist.[3][4][5] The ball was usually a rubber spaldeen[6] or pensie pinkie, but even a tennis ball or wad of taped-up paper can be used.[7]Template:Efn Base stealing, foul balls,[8] and bunting are not allowed.

History

File:A little pretty pocket-book Fleuron T188881-8.png
The alleged first depiction of a punchball-like game, with the players standing at posts instead of bases[9]

The origins of punchball may date to the 18th century and earlier, as John Thorn, official historian for Major League Baseball, has suggested that the depiction of baseball in A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, which was the first appearance in print of the sport, involved batters hitting with a hand.[9]

Popular in New York in the early 20th century,[10][11] especially among poor Jewish children who could not afford bats or baseballs, historian and baseball enthusiast Stephen Jay Gould referred to it as "the canonical recess game",[12] and in The Boys of Summer baseball writer Roger Kahn described how when he grew up it was a boys' game, as the girls played "slapball".[13] Punchball's popularity derived partially from the fact that it carried less risk of losing the ball or breaking windows than a standard game of baseball, and that it could be played with fewer people.[10]

Variations

In one version of punchball, a line was drawn between first base and third base, and the batter would be out if the ball was hit into the ground before passing the line.[10] In another variation, the batter had to hit only into the infield.[8]

In slapball, as Roger Kahn and Robert Mayer describe it, the game was played in a triangular field with only three bases. For this reason, the game could also be called triangle.[14][15] Slapball can be played with up to ten players on each team (with the tenth player acting as a fourth outfielder),[8] with a pitcher throwing the ball underhand on one bounce to the batter.[15]

Punchball could be played with as few as two players on each team,[10] and was typically played with five to six players on each team.[16] There were a number of ways to make the game work with only two players on each team; fewer infielders were required when "pegging" (throwing at a runner instead of tagging them to get them out) and "homing" (throwing the ball toward home plate to get a runner out) were allowed,[17] and in Mayer's version, punchball could be played with only three bases, along with something akin to basketball hoops being installed at center field; a home run was declared if the ball was hit into the hoops, but an out declared if the ball was hit just above them.[11] Sliding into bases was also not allowed.[18]

Popular culture

A 2010 PBS documentary, New York Street Games, includes punchball.[19]

In season 10, episode 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David states that he played punchball after grieving the death of his pet turtle.

Reception

Baseball Hall of Famers Nick Hoffman,[20] Sandy Koufax,[21][22] and Yogi Berra[23] played it growing up, as did sports team owner Jerry Reinsdorf,[24] Senator Bernie Sanders,[25] and former US Secretary of State and general Colin Powell.[26][27] Major league outfielder Rocky Colavito, when asked if he played punchball, answered "Play it? Man, that was my game. I liked to play that more than anything else ... anything. We used to play for money, too."[28] It was also a pastime of football announcer Al Michaels, who often played with former Chicago Bears quarterback Sid Luckman.

See also

References

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  8. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Template:Cite video
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Allen, Maury, Baseball Digest, November 1969, "Yogi Berra: The People's Choice," Vol. 28, No. 10, p. 88, Template:Catalog lookup linkScript error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn"., accessed December 16, 2009
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ * Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Falls, Joe, Baseball Digest, July 1960, Vol. 19, No. 6, "Two Boys from the Bronx," p. 24, Template:Catalog lookup linkScript error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn"., accessed December 16, 2009

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External links

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