Jersey City stickball tournament brings back playground memories

It was Déjà Vu all over again as 6 teams competed in a stickball tournament Sunday in Jersey City. 

Growing up, among the many streets we used to play in Union City was on West Street between 17^th and 18^th with the sewer plates serving as both home and second base. Necessary equipment was nothing mire than a sawed off broomstick and a pink spalding (ptonounced “Spaldeen” or a “Penzy Pinky which weren’t as good. Both could be purchased for 29 cents. I bought my sons one before summer and they don’t see why it’s a big deal to Dad.

The games would last long enough to hear the shattered glass followed by the footsteps of the players leaving the scene. Sometimes the balls would be hit up on the roof leaving up to climb the fore escapes or roll down the sewer where we would bend a hanger trying to fish it out. Either way a good time was always had be all, (except the kid who had to fish the ball out of said sewer.)

There were many other games from back in the day, that you don’t see anymore. “Buck Buck” also known as “Johnny Ride The Pony” was where one team would line up bent over on the bottom, shoulder to hip starting from the wall, while the other team jumped on top of them trying to knock them down.

There was also “manhunt” which was a team hide and seek using an entire city block along with a home base where you could be freed from.

What was your favorite street game and where did you play it?