When it was more than a game

[CoreSoftball20]

I always think of the movie "Sandlot" when thinking about how we used to have fun pick up games all the
time. Heck, we even met to just to hit and run around, didn't care if we had enough for a game. Or just use ghost runners

I drive around my old area once in a while and bothers me how a lot of the fields we used to
play on just were let go and unkept from nobody using them.

 

[BuckeyeBW]

I am sure that Ghost runners scored the bulk of the runs in our home games. I once wrecked the blades on my old man's brand new lawnmower making base paths in a field. I argue with friends of mine that don't let their kids play travel ball, they say "we didn't need travel ball when we where kids and we were pretty good". I tell them I agree 100% but what were we doing all the time? We were playing "games" and "practicing" on our own and we didn't even know it. My daughter would kill to have some kids to play ball with in the street, a broom handle and a tennis ball would be all the equipment they need. She can't drag the neighbor kids out, or off their phones or ipads etc.

 

[MNDad]

I’m guessing most kids today haven’t heard of ghost runners, pitchers hand, or anything to right field is an automatic out.

 

[BuckeyeBW]

I’m guessing most kids today haven’t heard of ghost runners, pitchers hand, or anything to right field is an automatic out.

Ah yes, pitchers hand was an important factor in most street games. Good call

 

[BobInMadison]

I was never good at baseball, but I participated in plenty of pickup kickball games.

Yes, you are right. Kids these days probably don't know what a ghost runner is.

Things have changed so much since we were kids.

I remember running across a home video my mother put onto a VCR. It showed little Bobby's first day of kindergarten. Unlike today, it did NOT show my parents driving me to school, and hanging out with the class for the start of the year orientation. Instead, it was my parents waving goodbye to me as I walked to school with my brother and all the neighborhood kids. These days, a parent who would let a 5 y.o. walk to school would be arrested.

I remember one time when the start-of-the year orientation session probably saved the life of a parent. It was a 2-day session in Brooklyn, September 10-11, 2001; many of the parents took off from work. One woman took off from her job at the World Trade Center.

 

[coach james]

LOL... I'd forgotten all about ghost runners!!!
We would play literally all day long, usually didn't bother eating lunch. We'd just occasionally get a drink from the garden hose (gotta let it run for a minute so it didn't taste like hot rubber! LOL)
There was no travel ball... we played local youth leagues. My neighbors dad would pile us up in his van and take us to the ball park. I didn't own my own bat or helmet. All I had was a pair of cleats and a hand me down glove. Coach had an old army duffel was full of 5 or 6 helmets 2 bats and a dozen or so baseballs, and we all shared... to hell with head lice!... Had the time of my life back then...
Wow have the times changed. For example why does my DD have a $150 bat bag with 4 different bats stuffed in it? Why the hell does she need that $250 vinci glove?
In hindsight, I feel like an idiot! LOL

 

[MTR]

Who will umpire the games?

You and the other parents can take turns

Did we get permission from the park service?

We don't need no stinking permission from the park service !

Who is picking the teams?

The kids

How much are you charging?!!!!

You are more than welcome to bring some drinks and snacks for the players to share

End result? No one wanted to come and it didn't happen.

Sad, as we have some great kids in the area but no one wanted to come.

Unfortunately, in today's world, people are worried more about liability and what is in it for them, and that is indeed sad

 

[_MIA_]

When my father was a kid in the 40's and 50's, they could get complete 9 on 9 games going. When I was a kid we were lucky to get 4 to 6 kids to play. Now you are lucky to find anybody on the field if it isn't organized. There were more things to do when I was kid then there were when my father was a kid and there are more things to do now then when I was a kid. My guess is that in poorer places, there are probably more kids outside playing some sort of ball. A ball and a broomstick or a basketball is cheaper then a 300 dollar playstation (or whatever kids play with these days..my kids don't have video games) and having your kid play in the park until you come home from work is cheaper than daycare.

 

[quincy]

I think DD and a few other players could send a text out and have a game Sunday, me no chance.

 

[coach james]

Playing outside has been replaced by an app on her phone