Punchball Explained

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] Base stealing, foul balls,^[8] and bunting are not allowed.

History

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] 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",^[11] 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".^[12] 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.^[13]

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. In another variation, the batter had to hit only into the infield.

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), with a pitcher throwing the ball underhand on one bounce to the batter.

Punchball could be played with as few as two players on each team, 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. 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 Sandy Koufax^{[20] [21]} and Yogi Berra^[22] played it growing up, as did sports team owner Jerry Reinsdorf,^[23] Senator Bernie Sanders,^[24] and former US Secretary of State and general Colin Powell.^{[25] [26]} Major league outfielder Rocky Colavito recalled playing punchball, also saying that they used to play this game for money.^[27] It was also a pastime of football announcer Al Michaels, who often played with former Chicago Bears quarterback Sid Luckman.

See also

• Safe haven games
• Variations of baseball
  • Baseball5, a similar game played at an international level
  • Kickball, a variation of baseball where a large hollow ball is kicked by the batter
    • Matball – kickball with gym mats for bases
• Leg cricket – variation of cricket when foot is used to propel the ball rather than a bat
• American handball, also involves hitting the ball with the hands
  • Hand pelota

External links

• Punchball rules
• "Letter to the Editor: For Punchball Players, Stickball is for Sissies", Seaford, Lou Defichy, The New York Times, April 30, 1989]
• The boys of summer, Roger Kahn, Harper & Row, 1972

Notes and References

1. Book: Prager, Joshua. The Echoing Green. 24 March 2014. 11 March 2008. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. 978-0-307-38933-6. 194.
2. Book: Clement. Priscilla Ferguson. Reinier. Jacqueline S.. Boyhood in America: An Encyclopedia. 24 March 2014. 1. 1 January 2001. ABC-CLIO. 978-1-57607-215-8. 107.
3. Web site: Streetplay Rulesheets: Punchball.
4. Book: Milberg, Alan. Street Games. 24 March 2014. 1976. McGraw-Hill. 978-0-07-041915-5. 149.
5. Book: Seymour, Harold. Baseball: The People's Game. 24 March 2014. 19 April 1990. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-802096-7. 18.
6. Book: Connor, Anthony J. . Voices from Cooperstown: Baseball's Hall of Famers tell it like it was . March 1998 . Galahad Books . 978-1-57866-016-2 . 24 March 2014.
7. Book: Jacobs, Greg . The Everything Kids' Baseball Book: From Baseball's History to Today's Favorite Players--With Lots of Home Run Fun in Between! . 2016-03-12 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-4405-9389-5 . en.
8. Hume . Donald . 2005-01-01 . Recreational Games for Physical Education . Strategies . 18 . 3 . 27–30 . EN . 10.1080/08924562.2005.10591137 . 0892-4562. subscription.
9. Book: Thorn, John . Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game . 2012-03-20 . Simon and Schuster . 978-0-7432-9404-1 . en.
10. Book: Mayer, Robert . Notes of a Baseball Dreamer: A Memoir . 2003 . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 978-0-618-32961-8 . en.
11. Book: Gould, Stephen Jay. Stephen Jay Gould

    . Stephen Jay Gould. Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville: A Lifelong Passion for Baseball. 24 March 2014. 17 May 2004. W. W. Norton. 978-0-393-32557-7. 41–42, 258.

12. Book: Riess, Steven A.. Sports and the American Jew. 24 March 2014. 1998. Syracuse University Press. 978-0-8156-2754-8. 43.
13. Book: Morris, Peter . A Game of Inches: The Stories Behind the Innovations that Shaped Baseball: the Game on the Field . 2006 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-1-56663-677-3 . en.
14. Book: Kahn, Roger . The Boys of Summer . 2013-08-01 . Aurum . 978-1-78131-207-0 . en.
15. Book: Mayer, Robert . Notes of a Baseball Dreamer: A Memoir . 2003 . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 978-0-618-32961-8 . en.
16. Book: Seymour . Harold . Baseball . Mills . Dorothy Seymour . 1960 . 1989 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-506907-5 . en.
17. Book: Levinson, Martin H. . Brooklyn Boomer: Growing Up in the Fifties . 2024-02-02 . Revised New . iUniverse . 978-1-6632-5657-7 . en.
18. Book: Mayer, Robert . Notes of a Baseball Dreamer: A Memoir . 2003 . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 978-0-618-32961-8 . en.
19. Hector Elizondo (Narrator); Matt Levy (Director) . 14 Nov 2011 . New York Street Games . Motion picture . New York City . https://web.archive.org/web/20111113235948/http://www.newyorkstreetgames.com/home.html . 13 November 2011 . dead.
20. Book: Koufax . Sandy . Koufax . Linn . Edward . Viking Press . 1966 . 9780670415083 . 17 . 24 March 2014.
21. Book: Doeden, Matt . Sandy Koufax . 1 September 2006 . Twenty-First Century Books . 978-0-8225-5961-0 . 6–7 . 24 March 2014.
22. https://books.google.com/books?id=-jIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=punchball&pg=PA88 Allen, Maury, Baseball Digest, November 1969, "Yogi Berra: The People's Choice", Vol. 28, No. 10, p. 88
23. Book: Robbins . Michael W. . Brooklyn: A State of Mind . Palitz . Wendy . Workman Pub. . 2001 . 978-0-7611-1635-6 . 84 . 24 March 2014.
24. • News: Maslin Nir . Sarah . April 8, 2016 . Bernie Sanders Back in the Old Neighborhood to Make His Case . New York Times.
    • Full Speech: Bernie Sanders Rally in Flatbush, NY (4-8-16) Bernie Brooklyn New York Rally . Bernie . Sanders . 2016-04-08 . Brooklyn, N.Y. . Bernie Sanders rally at Flatbush childhood home.
25. Book: Means . Howard B. . Colin Powell: Soldier-Statesman - Statesman-Soldier . Fine . Donald I. . Donald I. Fine, Ins. . 1992 . 978-1-55611-335-2 . 48, 59 . 24 March 2014.
26. Book: Hughes, Libby . Colin Powell: A man of quality . April 1996 . Dillon Press . 978-0-382-39260-3 . 24 . 24 March 2014.
27. https://books.google.com/books?id=DbcDAAAAMBAJ&dq=punchball&pg=PA24 Falls, Joe, Baseball Digest, July 1960, Vol. 19, No. 6, "Two Boys from the Bronx", p. 24