When I was growing up, we played a form of softball called work-up. Everyone at my one-room, country school joined in but with only ten or twelve students, there weren’t enough to form teams.
The size of our diamond was governed by the dimensions of the school yard and laid out by guess. Bases were a rock, a piece of clothing or anything else that was handy. We made our own rules to suit the group. First and second graders were rolled grounders and allowed six strikes instead of three. If one of the big boys hit the ball over the back fence, he was out.
Each day was a new game starting during morning recess and continuing through noon hour and afternoon recess. To begin, we yelled for the position we wanted to play. Two were batters, one was pitcher and three were basemen. The rest were outfielders. Each time a hitter was out, we all moved up one slot–the rotation was right field, left field, around the bases beginning with third, pitcher and batter.
The pitcher didn’t try for strike-outs. He or she lobbed the ball. The batter who missed was also the catcher retrieving the ball and tossing it back. With a hit, the batter ran to as many bases as possible before the ball was returned. There was no stealing. When the second batter got a hit, the one on base had to make it home or be out.
If the batter hit a fly ball and it was snagged, the person catching the ball changed places with the slugger. Catching a fly stung our hands because nobody wore ball gloves. The big boys with callouses from working on the farm had an advantage.
During the summer, family reunions were a picnic held at a forest preserve with a playground and a ball diamond. At least one person brought a bat and a softball. After the potluck dinner, a work-up ball game was a great way to renew acquaintances between distant cousins that only saw one another once a year. Sometimes a few of the young adults played, too.
What games did you play while growing up?
Love!! My one room country school through 5 th grade but we had a few more students We also did a game we called (I think) ‘Annie I over’ or something close to that😊 wher one team threw the ball over the roof & the team in other side had to catch. Can’t remember scoring or anything like that but we called for the catch as it came over. Also seeing how high we could swing till the chains on the swing jumped….
I played that game, too.
I went to a one room grade school (Inman) for eight years, and we had a large shed that we played “Annie I Over” over. We also played tag, softball, marbles, and, of course we used the swings a lot. When Janice and I were home alone, we mainly rode our pony or horses, but we also taught our pony & dog to jump plus we built a little fort in the corner of our yard with leaves & sticks. I think I kind of ordered Janice around for the fort. Janice & I were pals, always doing things together.