wow spaldeens now that brings back some great memories mike. i remember digging through the box looking for one with a good seem on them so they wouldnt pop first time you blasted them with a stickball bat lol
Posts: 150 | Location: PELHAM BAY | Registered: 23 February 2006
LOL, It wasn't as bad as it sounds. Most of the time it was just a matter of finding a wire hangar and making a scoop after the manhole cover was opened....no hangar available?....down I went!
We use to block the sewers with paper so the balls would not go down. I have been down in the Bx bike riding the last 2 days. You never see the kids now playing any of the games we did. They play baseball; but nothing off the wall
Posts: 486 | Location: carmel, NY | Registered: 22 July 2005
I can't believe they will be the same as they were in my day. Besides where are kids going to play. To many cars in the Bronx streets these days. I've notice in the suburbs if it's not organized for them or they have no coach the kids don't have uniforms or a state of the art field to play on theres no game.
Posts: 824 | Location: New Jersey | Registered: 25 March 2003
so right mike i remember now smelling them as stupid as it sounds the newer the smell the fresher the air was in the ball<dont know even today if thats true>.case you didnt know they named a street off of story ave and white plains road "stickball blvd" cars are not allowed down the street and they hold tournements all summer long. i never checked it out myself but now that you brought back the memories maybe ill swing by and check it out
Posts: 150 | Location: PELHAM BAY | Registered: 23 February 2006
I understand there is also a yearly tournament down in Spanish Harlem. On the east coast of Florida there is a group of Bronx retirees named the "Bronx Boys" who have their own Stickball League...there was a nice article about them in the latest issue of BITB Mag. Check out their video over at the BB.
There was nothing like being able to buy a new spaldeen, and like Suzie I played the same games, boy did those things bounce high. Thanks for the memory Mike. Only now I'm sad.
I have 2 of them that I ordered on line a few years ago..was disappointed...the bounce is there...the texture and the the smell are not. Hopefully, the Spaulding company got it right this time with the ones they are selling at Modells and Sports Authority.
Originally posted by Suzie: Pink Spaldeens.........remember boucing the ball and A my name is Alice, B my name is Barb, C my name is Carol.
We also played off the point, that was a loooonnng time ago.
do you remember the rest of it suzie. a my name is alice and i come from alabama,i want to be an artist and i want to marry alex and on and on it went with everything with the letter you were on. haha
Mike: I remember we used to get the spaldeens at Huey's on 194th St. For some reason only Huey's would do for that. Remember the famous Maz (John Marinelli)? He lived up 194th on Valentine Ave. but for some reason he always hung out down by us. There was a special tribute way of retiring a dying spaldeen, that was to "roof" it, and Maz was faultless in his pitch. We always thought he would go into pro ball, but he never did.
Posts: 495 | Location: Bronx, NY | Registered: 20 October 2004
Many thought the broom handle was better - it had already been seasoned and weathered. All you needed to do was get a roll of friction tape at Lynn's hardware and you were all set.
Posts: 495 | Location: Bronx, NY | Registered: 20 October 2004
Kids today don't know how good we had it...everytime I speak to someone who has gone back to an old neighborhood, I hear the same story.....no kids playing in the streets!
