Fond memories flooded my mind when I read the article “A pastime that’s past its prime.” My recollection of 16-inch softball is not the organized game of the ’50s and beyond, as described in the article, but the game that was played in the neighborhoods during the Depression years of the ’30s. It was played in the streets, alleys, empty lots and schoolyards. It was played with as few as three on a team or a full complement of 10 on a team and any number in-between. It was played all day long, from dawn to dusk, every day of the week.
And it was played with a passion–solely out of love for the game. In the early ’30s, it was played with shoes that had holes in the soles or with gym shoes that were barely held together.
But as times got better, some of the luckier ones showed up with real spiked baseball shoes.
But no matter, it was played with a passion.
Crowds of neighbors would gather on a warm summer evening to watch a game of nine or 10 on a team. These games were played with the intensity of a championship at stake, but the prize to the winner was in the wondrous feeling that your team won the game.
And, finally, many colorful characters with colorful nicknames that came of age during the Depression years played these games. These were the true golden years of 16-inch softball, when the game touched the heart of the poorest and loneliest among us.
