Whiffle Ball

[Kyyle23]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/nyregion...amp;oref=slogin

 

Kids build a fun whiffle ball field in an empty lot, chaos ensues.

[Chisoxfn]

Easily one of my all time favorite things to play as a kid. Hell, I can't wait to have kids cause you can bet your ass I'll be playing it with them.

 

What a bunch of malarky...let the kids have fun, let them have fun. Man, I'm so glad I was able to do stuff like that (well not quite like this) but in terms of going out, having fun outdoors and getting a little dirty.

[Brian]

I used to play all the time, even in high school.

 

If I went and played now, I'd K everytime until I got my feet wet again.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

We have an annual whiffle ball tournament every year (this is the 4th annual in a couple weeks) that lasts all day (plus kegs are involved, food and an open bar that night at a club someone DJ's at so you know...) But its so much fun, a lot of us are in college or a just a few years out so it's fun getting teams together and playing against guys you went to high school with or played varsity against from other districts. I think we have 6 teams this year. Sounds ridiculous but we look forward to it every year now haha.

[vandy125]

It's good to see kids actually playing outside. We used to play all kinds of games outside wiffleball, throwing the football around, roller hockey in the street, etc. Not sure why I don't see that around anymore. Is it because of the sue craziness of our culture?

[RockRaines]

It's good to see kids actually playing outside. We used to play all kinds of games outside wiffleball, throwing the football around, roller hockey in the street, etc. Not sure why I don't see that around anymore. Is it because of the sue craziness of our culture?

I spent every waking moment of my summers outside playing tag, baseball, basketball, soccer, kick the can, ghosts the grave yard. Kids now arent allowed outside, or allowed to play certain things. And people wonder why our culture is overweight.

[RockRaines]

Ah, that story was in Conn, thats why.

[Brian]

I spent every waking moment of my summers outside playing tag, baseball, basketball, soccer, kick the can, ghosts the grave yard. Kids now arent allowed outside, or allowed to play certain things. And people wonder why our culture is overweight.

 

Holy crap! We used to play this all night when we were young. I remember how I was making a move to the safe point, or whatever we called it, and I had a clear path. So I went across our neighbors driveway but they had motion detectors on their lights and set it on and got caught.

[Kyyle23]

Holy crap! We used to play this all night when we were young. I remember how I was making a move to the safe point, or whatever we called it, and I had a clear path. So I went across our neighbors driveway but they had motion detectors on their lights and set it on and got caught.

 

We used to have groups of 15 or more neighborhood kids play this at the same time, that game was legendary where we grew up.

 

It sucks that everyone is so paranoid about letting their kids out of their sight anymore. it sucks even more that there is good reason for it

[RockRaines]

Holy crap! We used to play this all night when we were young. I remember how I was making a move to the safe point, or whatever we called it, and I had a clear path. So I went across our neighbors driveway but they had motion detectors on their lights and set it on and got caught.

Almost flashlight tag-ish there. Which was also a good game.

 

I have fond memories off being at a full sprint down the sidewalk at night ready to kick the s*** out of the can to set everyone free. We mustve had 20-30 neighborhood kids playing every night. Our parents loved it. We were safe on the block, we came home tired, and we got exercise.

[Chisoxfn]

Almost flashlight tag-ish there. Which was also a good game.

 

I have fond memories off being at a full sprint down the sidewalk at night ready to kick the s*** out of the can to set everyone free. We mustve had 20-30 neighborhood kids playing every night. Our parents loved it. We were safe on the block, we came home tired, and we got exercise.

Such a great game. Kick the Can was great too!!!! Still, nothing topped a good game of Capture the Flag (especially when you had a big area to hide the flag).

[Brian]

Such a great game. Kick the Can was great too!!!! Still, nothing topped a good game of Capture the Flag (especially when you had a big area to hide the flag).

 

I was a mastermind at "Capture the Flag".

 

I was in FBLA in high school and my senior year, we had a big bonfire at this farm that had woods and there was just a lot of space. That year, we played capture the flag and had Seniors/Freshmen vs. Soph/Juniors.

 

I picked this freshmen on our team, pulled him aside and told him a plan of mine. We were going to hide behind this shed and than he was going to sprint out to towards the other side with me "chasing him" as if he was on the other side. He would infiltrate the other side, find their flag, and bring it home for the W. Plan worked to perfection.

 

As soon as I saw he had their flag, I crossed the line and created a distraction and we won. It was legend...wait for it...dary. Legendary!

Edited July 11, 2008 by Brian

[WilliamTell]

Regarding Ghosts in the Graveyard, we used to play that when I was younger. In fact I'm 22, last year living at home with the parents, but the younger neighborhood kids come to my door, and some of the other 18-20 year olds to get them to play Ghosts in the Graveyard. So sometimes we have about 15 people from ages 7-22 playing, it's kind of rediculous, but fun.

[Texsox]

My fav capture the flag moment. The kids in my troop were playing against another group. A couple of our guys found their hiding spot and saw the one kid who was guarding the flag. One of the kids starting running down the trail screaming bees! bees!. Their guy took off running, we grabbed the flag, and won. The playing field was a large Scout camp and finding the flag took almost two hours.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Holy crap! We used to play this all night when we were young. I remember how I was making a move to the safe point, or whatever we called it, and I had a clear path. So I went across our neighbors driveway but they had motion detectors on their lights and set it on and got caught.

 

Wow, that is it's own thread right there.

 

I have had debates with adults who grew up all over the country about how certain games were played and what the different game details were. It's amazing how many state and even neighborhood variants there were for games like Ghost in the Graveyard and Kick the Can.

 

The name of the safe spot is one example. Was it base, home, home base, goal?? for whatever reason, in my little corner of the south side, it was pronounced "gool" or "ghoul". I never had to think about how to spell it, but that's what it was.

 

Then the details of being safe on gool. Could you stay there forever or was there some sort of limit? Our limit was the "It" person reciting the ever-popular "one, two three, get off my father's apple tree." My cracker-ass Florida wife thinks I just make this up, but I thell her that's how you play the game.

 

Sometimes if you couldn't get all the way to gool, but someone was already there you could still be safe by grabbing to them, 'cuz, you know, "electricity!"

 

And the biggest controversy of all - when the "It" person gives up on finding everybody or it was time to go in fo the night. . . Cracker Wife says sou had to call out "all the all the oxen free!" While I admit that makes more sense, she's flat out wrong. You called out "Oly Oly Ocean Free," which is meaningless gibberish, but I'm sorry that's the way it's done. Sometimes to add a little flourish, you could also go with "Oly Oly Ocean Free Free Freee. . . last one out is a P - I - G!!"

 

Yeah, 10-15 kids all up and down the block playing kick the can, lightning bugs flickering here and there, was awesome.

 

We absolutely lived for summer growing up.

 

[Texsox]

Wow, that is it's own thread right there.

 

I have had debates with adults who grew up all over the country about how certain games were played and what the different game details were. It's amazing how many state and even neighborhood variants there were for games like Ghost in the Graveyard and Kick the Can.

 

The name of the safe spot is one example. Was it base, home, home base, goal?? for whatever reason, in my little corner of the south side, it was pronounced "gool" or "ghoul". I never had to think about how to spell it, but that's what it was.

 

Then the details of being safe on gool. Could you stay there forever or was there some sort of limit? Our limit was the "It" person reciting the ever-popular "one, two three, get off my father's apple tree." My cracker-ass Florida wife thinks I just make this up, but I thell her that's how you play the game.

 

Sometimes if you couldn't get all the way to gool, but someone was already there you could still be safe by grabbing to them, 'cuz, you know, "electricity!"

 

And the biggest controversy of all - when the "It" person gives up on finding everybody or it was time to go in fo the night. . . Cracker Wife says sou had to call out "all the all the oxen free!" While I admit that makes more sense, she's flat out wrong. You called out "Oly Oly Ocean Free," which is meaningless gibberish, but I'm sorry that's the way it's done. Sometimes to add a little flourish, you could also go with "Oly Oly Ocean Free Free Freee. . . last one out is a P - I - G!!"

 

Yeah, 10-15 kids all up and down the block playing kick the can, lightning bugs flickering here and there, was awesome.

 

We absolutely lived for summer growing up.

 

I love black and white memories of a long ago time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

great story. And of course, your wife is right, because, well, because wives are always right, even when they are soooo wrong.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I love black and white memories of a long ago time

 

Mine play back at 1.25X speed with a scratchy Our Gang music soundtrack playing over the top of it.

 

[Swingandalongonetoleft]

The sharp decline in people over the last 20 years alone is astonishing. I can, but don't want to imagine what it will be like in another 20.

 

Took the train downtown today and lost my phone. When I got back I had to call for a ride and I asked 4 people at the station if I could use their cell, even offered money. Shockingly, no one had one! Except 5 minutes later one of them was outed when his 43498 decibel symphony of a ringtone went off. I looked at him, shook my head and just walked home.

 

Somewhere (I think Maryland) recently a guy was hit by a car in the street. People saw it, but no one stopped to help. Cars actually drove around him. And of course, the woman dying in the ER waiting room and everyone looks the other way. Well, not really. They looked directly at her. One employee even walked over to nudge her with her foot.

 

 

[Kyyle23]

Wow, that is it's own thread right there.

 

I have had debates with adults who grew up all over the country about how certain games were played and what the different game details were. It's amazing how many state and even neighborhood variants there were for games like Ghost in the Graveyard and Kick the Can.

 

The name of the safe spot is one example. Was it base, home, home base, goal?? for whatever reason, in my little corner of the south side, it was pronounced "gool" or "ghoul". I never had to think about how to spell it, but that's what it was.

 

Then the details of being safe on gool. Could you stay there forever or was there some sort of limit? Our limit was the "It" person reciting the ever-popular "one, two three, get off my father's apple tree." My cracker-ass Florida wife thinks I just make this up, but I thell her that's how you play the game.

 

Sometimes if you couldn't get all the way to gool, but someone was already there you could still be safe by grabbing to them, 'cuz, you know, "electricity!"

 

I forgot about that rule! We used to make chains of people to reach out and get the last person getting chased to gool. And yes, we used the same word for the safe zone. I have no idea where it came from.

 

When you guys did your countdown before everyone left gool, did you shout some wierd variation of "12 O'Clock Rock". We did. It made no sense, but we counted down "1 O'clock, 2 O'clock, 3 O'clock ROCK....."

 

[StrangeSox]

My fav capture the flag moment. The kids in my troop were playing against another group. A couple of our guys found their hiding spot and saw the one kid who was guarding the flag. One of the kids starting running down the trail screaming bees! bees!. Their guy took off running, we grabbed the flag, and won. The playing field was a large Scout camp and finding the flag took almost two hours.

 

Camp-wide capture the flag was always a blast.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I forgot about that rule! We used to make chains of people to reach out and get the last person getting chased to gool. And yes, we used the same word for the safe zone. I have no idea where it came from.

 

When you guys did your countdown before everyone left gool, did you shout some wierd variation of "12 O'Clock Rock". We did. It made no sense, but we counted down "1 O'clock, 2 O'clock, 3 O'clock ROCK....."

 

Yep, in Ghost in the Graveyard, we used that same chant when heading off to find the Ghost.

 

What about the "ocean free"/"oxen free" thing? My wife thinks I'm nuts and I need proof it's not just me.

[Kyyle23]

Yep, in Ghost in the Graveyard, we used that same chant when heading off to find the Ghost.

 

What about the "ocean free"/"oxen free" thing? My wife thinks I'm nuts and I need proof it's not just me.

 

 

"Olly Olly Oxen Free!!!!!!"

 

 

Again, no sense whatsoever. Did we yell that when everyone got back safe?

 

 

I remember there was always someone who would never admit to being caught by the ghost and would cause some sort of a ruckus or spat about it.

[mreye]

Wow, that is it's own thread right there.

 

I have had debates with adults who grew up all over the country about how certain games were played and what the different game details were. It's amazing how many state and even neighborhood variants there were for games like Ghost in the Graveyard and Kick the Can.

 

The name of the safe spot is one example. Was it base, home, home base, goal?? for whatever reason, in my little corner of the south side, it was pronounced "gool" or "ghoul". I never had to think about how to spell it, but that's what it was.

 

Then the details of being safe on gool. Could you stay there forever or was there some sort of limit? Our limit was the "It" person reciting the ever-popular "one, two three, get off my father's apple tree." My cracker-ass Florida wife thinks I just make this up, but I thell her that's how you play the game.

 

Sometimes if you couldn't get all the way to gool, but someone was already there you could still be safe by grabbing to them, 'cuz, you know, "electricity!"

 

And the biggest controversy of all - when the "It" person gives up on finding everybody or it was time to go in fo the night. . . Cracker Wife says sou had to call out "all the all the oxen free!" While I admit that makes more sense, she's flat out wrong. You called out "Oly Oly Ocean Free," which is meaningless gibberish, but I'm sorry that's the way it's done. Sometimes to add a little flourish, you could also go with "Oly Oly Ocean Free Free Freee. . . last one out is a P - I - G!!"

 

Yeah, 10-15 kids all up and down the block playing kick the can, lightning bugs flickering here and there, was awesome.

 

We absolutely lived for summer growing up.

 

I love you, Jim, and yes, it was called a gool in NW Indiana as well.

 

But when the "it" guy wanted to quit he just did and never told anyone. What kind of crap is that? Would we let him play the next night? Of course.

 

[FlaSoxxJim]

"Olly Olly Oxen Free!!!!!!"

 

 

Again, no sense whatsoever. Did we yell that when everyone got back safe?

 

 

I remember there was always someone who would never admit to being caught by the ghost and would cause some sort of a ruckus or spat about it.

 

It probably was supposed to be oxen for us, but somewhere along the line some kid who didn't know what the eff oxen were turned that into ocean and it stuck.

 

We said it when the seeker/seekers gave up and the hiders were supposed to come out of hiding.

 

[FlaSoxxJim]

But when the "it" guy wanted to quit he just did and never told anyone. What kind of crap is that? Would we let him play the next night? Of course.

 

 

We had a kid on the block who either got stuck being It and we'd all pretend to hide but would really just leave and let him keep looking, or if he was a hider, we'd all pretend to be hiding or seeking but would just take off and let him keep hiding to think he had a really sweet spot. To the kid's credit, he would hole up and hide for a good hour or so before popping his head out.

 

"Guys. . . hey, Guys. . . ?"

 

Wow, were we a-holes or what?