PITCHING IN

(Continuing with the ‘Paved Paradise’ series, part 2 of my recollection of the Girls Schoolyard at Holy Name)

Have you ever sat in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium? Maybe you have been lucky enough to score a ticket and sit in the bleachers at Wrigley Field in Chicago taking in a Cubs game? I’m sure you have seen one or the other on television.

Either venue, it’s a great way/view to watch the game.

 

Living on 9th avenue above Bob’s Hardware store, directly across the street from the girl’s schoolyard there were many days I would prop open the window in my bedroom facing the yard, grab my pillow, place it on the windowsill and watch the stickball games across the street.

Against the red brick school wall there were three strike zones chalked and colored in. There were three pitching mounds approximately 30 yards away and you usually had one, maybe two outfielders behind the pitcher close to the fence. (Most times if the yard was empty, you used the middle strike zone)

You played balls and strikes. Just like Major league baseball you got 4 balls/3 strikes and 3 outs. If the batter ‘took’ a pitch, and it landed in the strike zone, it would be a strike; outside the chalked box, it was a ball. If there was ever a discrepancy as to whether the pitch was in the box or not, all you had to do was show the batter the spaldeen ball with the chalk mark.

When the batter made contact with the ball, you played automatics. A ground ball back up the middle could be caught by your fielder (or the pitcher) for an out. If it got by them, it was a single. Over the fence and onto 9th avenue before the double yellow line in the street, was a double. Over the yellow line/on the sidewalk was a triple.

And for the big one, the all-elusive Home Run, you had to hit it over the store signs!

The Hardware Store, Nat’s Dry Cleaners, United, Trunz, Key Food, The card shop…(The Green Monster in Fenway? The storefronts on 9th avenue were REAL outfield walls!)

I recall one day we had outfielders out there on the sidewalk in front of the stores trying to catch fly balls. Not even thinking about the cars and the B75 going by on the avenue.

The foul poles were the side/edges of the rectory and convent. If you hit either building, it was a foul ball.

There were many times power hitters would hit blasts over the roofs. This would be my cue to head out my kitchen window, climb the fire escape onto the roof and track down the ball.

Souvenir for me.

Unlike at Wrigley when someone from the opposing team hit a home run, I didn’t toss it back.

During the summer, I’d rack up a lot of spaldeen’s.

I was also a constant player. I racked up many at-bats, hits, strikeouts, walks, games won/lost, (not many home runs, I hit for average) but most of all, we had fun. We argued, laughed, and went at each other like it was Game 7 of the World Series.

When we were pitching we emulated stars like Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Luis Tiant or if you were a southpaw, you were Jon Matlack.

At the plate you were Pete Rose, John Milner, Cleon Jones or Ed Kranepool.

Out on the field you went after grounders like Wayne Garrett or Dave Conception. You chased down fly balls like Tommie Agee.

Pitching-In, in the girls schoolyard. WOW!

(Tomorrow, more tales from the Girl’s Schoolyard)