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 (usually a spaldeen^[3] or pensie pinkie) in play, punching the ball with his fist.^{[4] [5] [6]} Base stealing and bunting are not allowed.

Popular in New York, 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",^[7] 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".^[8]

Baseball Hall of Famers Nick Hoffman,^[9] Sandy Koufax,^{[10] [11]} and Yogi Berra^[12] played it growing up, as did sports team owner Jerry Reinsdorf,^[13] Senator Bernie Sanders,^[14] and former US Secretary of State and general Colin Powell.^{[15] [16]} 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."^[17] It was also a pastime of football announcer Al Michaels, who often played with former Chicago Bears quarterback Sid Luckman.

Popular culture

A 2010 PBS documentary, New York Street Games, includes punchball.^[18]

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

See also

• Safe haven games
• Baseball5, a similar game played at an international level

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. Book: Connor, Anthony J.. Voices from Cooperstown: baseball's Hall of Famers tell it like it was. 24 March 2014. March 1998. Galahad Books. 978-1-57866-016-2.
4. Web site: Streetplay Rulesheets: Punchball.
5. Book: Milberg, Alan. Street Games. 24 March 2014. 1976. McGraw-Hill. 978-0-07-041915-5. 149.
6. Book: Seymour, Harold. Baseball: The People's Game. 24 March 2014. 19 April 1990. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-802096-7. 18.
7. 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.

8. Book: Riess, Steven A.. Sports and the American Jew. 24 March 2014. 1998. Syracuse University Press. 978-0-8156-2754-8. 43.
9. Book: Dunn. Herb. Henderson. Meryl. Jackie Robinson: Young Sports Trailblazer. 24 March 2014. 1 March 1999. Simon and Schuster. 978-0-689-82453-1. 51.
10. Book: Koufax. Sandy. Linn. Edward. Koufax. 24 March 2014. 1966. Viking Press. 17. 9780670415083.
11. Book: Doeden, Matt. Sandy Koufax. 24 March 2014. 1 September 2006. Twenty-First Century Books. 978-0-8225-5961-0. 6–7.
12. 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
13. Book: Robbins. Michael W.. Palitz. Wendy. Brooklyn: A State of Mind. 24 March 2014. 2001. Workman Pub.. 978-0-7611-1635-6. 84.
14. • News: Bernie Sanders Back in the Old Neighborhood to Make His Case. New York Times. Maslin Nir. Sarah. April 8, 2016.
    • 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.
15. Book: Means. Howard B.. Fine. Donald I.. Colin Powell: Soldier-Statesman - Statesman-Soldier. 24 March 2014. 1992. Donald I. Fine, Ins.. 978-1-55611-335-2. 48, 59.
16. Book: Hughes, Libby. Colin Powell: a man of quality. 24 March 2014. April 1996. Dillon Press. 978-0-382-39260-3. 24.
17. 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
18. 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 .