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What kind of make up games did you play as a kid?
pocketpiececommems
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in Sports Talk
We lived out in the country. We played a baseball game called "Ball off the Roof". We played with a tennis ball. We would throw the ball up in the air on the roof. If it bounced once and off it was an out. If it bounced twice and was caught it was an out. If it bounced twice and off the front of the house it was a run. If you threw it over the house it was an out (and then we had to look for the ball) After 3 outs the other player got to bat.
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For me, "kid" will mean under 7th grade. Lots and lots of baseball. Some football but just pick-up games once in awhile among the neighborhood kids at a local field.
An interesting game was called "halfball." I lived mostly in the suburbs but one year business brought my Dad somewhere else and we had to move, and so for two years i lived in a row home neighborhood. When i was first introduced to halfball, i thought the kids there were out of their minds. I had never heard of it. I mean splitting a rubber ball in half and hitting it with a broomstick of sorts? Seemed like the most ridiculous thing i ever heard of. Of course i tried it and it is an interesting game, that works well in crowded neighborhoods, the rubber ball can't break anything, etc.
After moving back out to the suburbs in the 7th grade, i never played it again.
In middle school during the winter when PE class was inside the boys gym we would play "rough house basketball".
It combined basketball with tackle football. It was a blast.
Would not be allowed today for multiple reasons.
Slip and Slide Tag Up. Hose, Slip and Slide, baseball and glove, home plate and about 5 to 10 kids. Played in the backyard.
The catcher at the end of the Slip and Slide would throw a fly ball to someone and a kid at the other end of the Slip and Slide would tag up. There would be a splash a slide and a collision. At the end of the summer there would be a 3 foot deep rut in the grass from sliding. My Dad did not approve. The biggest problem of Slip and Slide Tag up for the kids was your glove would get soaking wet and weigh about 50 lbs.
GroundBallish.
The first baseman controlled the game. We had 3 infielders and he would try to throw grounders threw the ball infield. The infielders would try to make the play. Turn double plays etc. The first baseman could roll out bunts etc.
Curb Ball. Two kid game
The "batter" would bounce a tennis ball off the curb. The fielder would try to make the play. Catch it in the air it's an out. Catch it cleanly on one hop an out. Two bounces a single. If it got by the fielder a single. Over the fielders head a double but it had to land in the street and not the grass.
500 Usually played after dinner in the street
Batter ( usually a Dad) would hit the ball in the air. About 20 kids would try to catch it in the air. There were no fouls. Played on concrete, curbs, cars and all. Anything goes to catch it. Animal style. Lots of nut shots and fisticuffs. 50 points per catch. First one to 500 wins.
All games were played with no "chips" on windows. If you broke a window you pay for it. No chipping in.
Those were just baseball games. We had hockey, hoops and football. My fingers are sore now
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Rollies At The Bat,Mud football. We used to hit golf balls with the baseball bat. Needed a large field.
Superball baseball.
Played at a local school. If the batter hit the Superball pitches to him over the school building that counted as a home run. The player who hit that ball (which inevitably was lost) had to replace it at his expense.
Kill Soccer at recess, basically it was soccer with tackling. Other than that backyard football was played mostly in my neighborhood, my friend had a pool and once a year his parents would drain it and we had some of the best mud bowls ever. Pitching and hitting balls but oddly not a lot of actual baseball games outside of little league.
We had a bunch of big trees in my backyard and some were close distance and some were far distance. They were my wide receivers and I threw the football to them.
Garbage Man.
rubber off the wall --- fast pitch with a new rubber ball. we paced off the 60 feet and drew a chalk pitchers rubber, drew another outline for home plate a few feet away from the wall and then approximated the strike zone with another chalk outline on the wall.
it's amazing how much those rubber balls will curve.
Spin the bottle
That is the kind of stuff that gives birth to some good hitters. The combination of doing it for hours a day and making it a harder task.
I hit rocks a lot, but those were throwing them up to myself, no pitcher on those, lol.
I also practiced hitting super balls.
Fast pitch was our game. The old school game of painting the batters box on the school wall and throwing rubber balls as fast as you can, but going to the store every 30 minutes when the balls cracked.
Pinners was another. You as the 'batter' stood right in front of the front porch steps and threw the rubber ball at your front porch steps. The goal was to make the ball bounce off the steps and past the fielder standing behind you in the street. If you got good at hitting the exact corner of the step, it created the perfect 'launch angle' and would fly over the fielder for a home run. You had to throw hard and accurate.
This was actually a prelude to some of the velocity drills that happen today where pitchers do a couple quick hops toward the radar gun to gain momentum and throw 110 MPH like Forrest Whitely. We did that as well to get a little more into our throw to make it rebound more. However, it was hard to hit the exact corner of the step when you did that, so there was a delicate balance.
You see, we did the stuff too that now has new names like launch angle....but ours were more natural occurring. For instance, when drinking beers and your buddy stood to the side and flipped a golf ball up in the air, and you had to hit it over the house across the ally so it didn't break their window...launch angle.
@1948_Swell_Robinson You reminded me about hitting rocks, I used to have a oversized red plastic hollow bat and used to crush rocks over my neighbors house.
Thats how you learn to have nerves of steel. lol. Or balls of steel.
A lot of similarities to some of the above. Great stuff!
Our most popular game, I can't recall what we called it, was played in my front yard. Facing the garage door, and standing near the door, the batter (using a baseball bat and a tennis ball) would hit the ball against the garage. If it crossed the first line in the driveway (lines were maybe 10-15 feet apart) it was a single, second line double, third line triple, and hit the neighbors roof was a homerun. There were fielders out there to catch the ball so needed to avoid them. As we got older we learned launch angle (before that was a thing) and got to the point of hitting over the neighbors roof which was a grandslam.
Another game we played was called Fergie. Named after Joe Ferguson's throw out of the A's in the '74 World Series. Similar to pickle. A ball is thrown from home plate to the outfield. The runner on third decides to tag up and score or not. The outfielder would try to nail the runner at the plate like Ferguson.
Fergie, also pickle, and football with flooded front yard was also fun. Mom didn't like it. Grass got pretty beat up sometimes but it was fun!
Grew up on a farm. 1 on 1 with my brother. Used a broken shovel handle as a bat, we put duct tape over handle area to prevent splinters. For a ball, we used a rubber air inflated promotion basketballs they threw out at HS basketball games.
We played between our detached garage and a machine shed that housed tractors. There was about 50 feet spacing between the 2 buildings. We played pitchers hand out to reach first. If the runner tried to advance, the fielder could throw the ball at the runner to get him out. Anything above the sliding door tract on the machine shed was a homer.
Did anyone ever hit a golf ball with a tennis racket ? Greatest thrill any kid could have.
Come to think of it. I you have both in your house, go to your local park one day where the woods are and watch
it sail into the atmosphere.
The way the original question is asked by the OP, it sounds like a question for a bunch of girls in their bedrooms
with their mascara and eye liner.
I hit a golf ball with a baseball bat. Man it would fly. I hit it farther Than George Brett could hit a baseball but not quite as far as Mike Schmidt.
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
Chicks dig the long ball.
I trying to remember.
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In the course of every human endeavor since the dawn of time the risk of human error has always been a factor. Including but not limited to field goals, 4th down attempts, or multiple paragraph ramblings on a sports forum authored by someone who shall remain anonymous.
PICKLE
also a throw a knife at peoples feet game involving stretching your legs out
hey perk , since you are from near me do you remember a card game called knuckles? or bloody knuckles? we played it at summer camp in the 70's
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In the course of every human endeavor since the dawn of time the risk of human error has always been a factor. Including but not limited to field goals, 4th down attempts, or multiple paragraph ramblings on a sports forum authored by someone who shall remain anonymous.
Mumbely Peg.
Darts, bare feet, multiple players each getting a turn to throw darts at another players' bare feet, seeing who would keep their feet planted on the ground (and not chicken out by jumping out of the way of the incoming darts) and sometimes blood would spill when a dart pierced a bare foot.
Smear.
The guy with the ball was the object of all other players. They wanted to Smear him. A very interesting game that revealed much about each person who played. Some players wanted the ball and once they got it they would never give it up voluntarily. It would have to be taken from him. Others would want no part of the ball and avoid it like the plague. Some wanted only to smear someone. Some wanted to run away from others as long as they could to frustrate those in pursuit, only to give up the ball an instant before he was caught.
I remember playing that. It was actually called Smear The Qu..r. Now I would guess it is called Smear the person with the alternative life style.
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
Lived in a hilly suburb of LA. Uphill vacant lot on the corner. Tons of 1' long grass weeds growing on the lot. When you pull them out by the clump, they weighed a couple of pounds with the roots and attached dirt. They made great hand grenades to throw at each other.
Okay, once in a while one may hit a car windshield, and the driver would get out and chase us.
It wasn't me, I had good control of my grenades. Driver didn't care he threatened to kill all of us.
We did this with cornstalks ,
I remember a game Calle kick ta bar. Back then bicycle tires were rubber all the way around and we used to cut them up into 8 inch pieces . We would put one standing up at home base. The person up would kick the rubber bar and run the bases like baseball. The fielders would either catch it for an out or try to throw the kicker ou on thee bases. It was great fun. but that was 70 or 75 years ago. We also played mumbly peg but I don't remember exactly how that went.
My brother and I also hit rocks after chores. We just used a piece off of a wooden fence. We would just throw the rock up and try to hit them in the pond between the two barns.
Lafayette Grading Set
This time a year we would go buy a kite and a ball of string for a dime, loved a good kite fight....
I don't think I was anywhere NEAR open minded enough as a boy to play make up games. I mean isn't it usually girls that play with make up?
Dimes: 54S, 53P, 50P, 49S, 45D+S, 44S, 43D, 41S, 40D+S, 39D+S, 38D+S, 37D+S, 36S, 35D+S, all 16-34's
Quarters: 52S, 47S, 46S, 40S, 39S, 38S, 37D+S, 36D+S, 35D, 34D, 32D+S
74 Topps: 37,38,46,47,48,138,151,193,210,214,223,241,256,264,268,277,289,316,435,552,570,577,592,602,610,654,655
1997 Finest silver: 115, 135, 139, 145, 310
1995 Ultra Gold Medallion Sets: Golden Prospects, HR Kings, On-Base Leaders, Power Plus, RBI Kings, Rising Stars
In the mornings at our bus stop waiting to go to middle school we all would gather in front of one of the guys carport wall who lived by the bus stop and play a game called "ass". It was played with a blue racquetball which stung like a bee being whipped at you from a very short distance. A line was drawn about 10 ft back from the carport wall which you had to stand behind. One guy would whip the ball at the wall and if it hit you or you misfielded it you would run forward to touch that wall before a pack of guys frantically tried to get the ball and whip it at you (usually in the behind) hence the name, once you touched that wall you were "safe" and could go back to the pack and continue. Went to school with many bruises on the arms. lol
Tennis rackets hitting charcoal briquettes was a thrill too! My dad was always puzzled where the charcoal went to at bbq time.
Where did you grow up? We played this same game in San Diego, but called it Butts Up.
Ft Lauderdale
Growing up, playing in the basement, named the play side and the work side.
The work side was unfinished with concrete flooring . sink on one end and the oil tank at the other end.
Perfect goals for hockey games as we were growing up. Three kids per side street hockey.
This was funny because after we finished we left behind a dust storm and more work on the weekend.
Your dad was obviously not Hank Hill
Dimes: 54S, 53P, 50P, 49S, 45D+S, 44S, 43D, 41S, 40D+S, 39D+S, 38D+S, 37D+S, 36S, 35D+S, all 16-34's
Quarters: 52S, 47S, 46S, 40S, 39S, 38S, 37D+S, 36D+S, 35D, 34D, 32D+S
74 Topps: 37,38,46,47,48,138,151,193,210,214,223,241,256,264,268,277,289,316,435,552,570,577,592,602,610,654,655
1997 Finest silver: 115, 135, 139, 145, 310
1995 Ultra Gold Medallion Sets: Golden Prospects, HR Kings, On-Base Leaders, Power Plus, RBI Kings, Rising Stars
Me and couple friends (baseball geeks) used to make baseball stadiums out of cardboard boxes then place our baseball cards on our field and use a pencil to hit a small paper wad as a ball.
If the ball went a certain distance from the card Ike an inch it was an out.If the card went to the fence to right or left field it was a double and a triple would have to go to centerfield wall.A homer had to go over the fence.We did this in 1959 when cards was just cards.
When we stopped playing this game we had a game of sitting on the porch and watch the girls walk by and give them a grade of A B C D or F.
What I would give to go back to those days.
Nope. Charcoal all the way for him! Propane was not a word in his language! lol
Taste the meat, not the heat I tell ya whut...
Dimes: 54S, 53P, 50P, 49S, 45D+S, 44S, 43D, 41S, 40D+S, 39D+S, 38D+S, 37D+S, 36S, 35D+S, all 16-34's
Quarters: 52S, 47S, 46S, 40S, 39S, 38S, 37D+S, 36D+S, 35D, 34D, 32D+S
74 Topps: 37,38,46,47,48,138,151,193,210,214,223,241,256,264,268,277,289,316,435,552,570,577,592,602,610,654,655
1997 Finest silver: 115, 135, 139, 145, 310
1995 Ultra Gold Medallion Sets: Golden Prospects, HR Kings, On-Base Leaders, Power Plus, RBI Kings, Rising Stars
Spin the Bottle. Ohh....Baby!
And on the flip side.
Spin the coin with a ping of your finger to spin the coin similar to battling tops.
Next, catch it before it stops spinning, with your thumbs.
Next with your thumbs holding the football (Coin) your other player makes a goal post, and from where you caught it, fling it to make it through the posts.
Coin Football.
I remember the term “Bloody Knuckles” but never played it, I didn’t ever think it had anything to do with cards though. I thought it was punching each other in the fist till someone gave up. I remember doing the hand slap game, if you flinch the other guy gets to slap your hand for free lol
doctor. lots and lots of doctor! 😉
Back in the fifties we tossed a predetermined amount of cards against a wall and the closest card to the wall won, topsies was a game where we tossed cards against a wall and the first player whose card landed on another won the pile,we also leaned one card against the wall and the first player to knock it down won the game and cards,i recall in the school yard i tossed a card to the wall and it stuck in the brick! Imagine wax packs of Parkhurst Topps hockey cards and baseball cards cracked open only to fling them against a wall,i am surprised that many PSA highly graded cards surveyed to this day.
This is a really great thread. It's brought out a lot of interesting stories and fun reads. Thank you @pocketpiececommems for starting this.
I was having trouble thinking of much to add. I definitely played versions or forms of some things already mentioned.
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Growing up, I had an older cousin that I really loved. He's six years older. We are close and talk mainly sports (and other things) to this day a lot. Hope to see him this summer up in Massachusetts. Of course that age gap was really big when I was little, but he seemed to always take time to play with me. He was an elite athlete, played high school hockey with Jeremy Roenick, and was a lot of fun.
I remember one made up game that he taught me. We were actually talking about it a few months ago , coincidentally. It's called hand hockey. You take some paper towels or something, make a ball, then tape it up. The game was played inside the house, on your knees , one on one. Hit the ball with the palm of your hand. No crossing mid ice. Depending on your location you set the goals and bounds. Played in a hallway was always fun. A lot of ricochet action. I always lost. 😂😂😂
Love that game, yup , Me too.
Again in the basement. The play side of the basement.
The indoor / outdoor carpet always won> @thisistheshow said:
Old school, I love it.
Wet towel snapping competitions were part of my childhood.
Contestants would wear a pair of shorts only. That way maximum amounts of skin wear exposed.
The only rule was you had to snap your competitor below the neck. No head shots.
Many painful welts resulted from the towels being snapped. They were worn like a badge of honor.