Measure up the sports to play when the sun comes out for over 12 hours of ice cream melting fun.
Both stickball and softball are alternative's to America's pastime, and greatest game ever, no questions asked, baseball. It provides the best food in the stands, the most variation for stadiums, with even more than one team per state.
California tops it with five:
- Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim)
- Oakland Athletics
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- San Diego Padres
- San Francisco Giants
Talk about a game dependent on numbers. You can break down batting and pitching stats in so many ways its nauseating for the casual fan.
Getting back to the issue at hand, I'll break down each game (although the variants of each are plenty).
Stickball:
Originally played on the streets of New York City, the game is essentially baseball without base running. Players determine the distance for a single, double, triple, and home run and imaginary base runners are used each time a ball is hit and not caught.
Some players use a rubber ball (handball/ racquetball/spaldeen), others a tennis ball. The stick of a broom can be used, while many sporting good stores sell stickball bats.
When using a rubber ball, often time the batter self-pitches. When using a tennis ball, the rules are similar to baseball, where the pitcher can walk or strike out the batter. The strike zone is determined by a box, often time sprayed painted on a cement wall.
The number of innings are also optional. Some consider stickball the poor man's baseball, and others just enjoy it after a long week at the office.
Check out the next entry for the softball rules and then the showdown...
