Hacking BaseBall
with J.M.
Follow the cube to learn more about variations of baseball
that our friend/neighbor/coach creates when he runs
thrice-weekly impromptu baseball games with youths from July through the first snowstorm.
All Balls Fair
In this version of the game, there
are no foul balls and there are no
areas on the field that are out of play.
If the ball goes foul? It's fair.
If the ball goes over the fence? Fair ball.
Gets stuck in a trash can? Play on!
Every hit is worth something exciting
in this version of the game.
Usual Rules Apply
You know the rules if you follow baseball.
Not that these rules are boring or anything
and most of the Summer Ball games are played
with two teams, nine innings, three outs, etc. etc.
Then: It gets spiced up!
Looper
All pitches are arced high in the air, designed to drop from
the sky onto the plate. The batter has to
shift and swing upward just to hit the ball.
Two Strike/One Strike
This variation of the game usually emerges
late in the night and is designed to quicken the
pace before darkness settles in. Here, the batter has
either one or two strikes instead of the usual three.
Lots of swinging of the bats ensues,
as does lots of outs.
Bowling Baseballs
The opposite of Looper, this variation has the pitcher
rolling the baseball along the ground, and the batter uses
the bat like a golf club. Many misses take place.
One Pitch Baseball
In a variation of the One/Two Strike game,
here, the batter gets one single pitch
and that's it!
If the batter fouls the ball, they get another
try at another pitch.
The only variation is that the pitcher can
call their own pitch "bad" and give the
batter another try.
And a round of thanks
...for people like JM, who give up their time
and energy to provide a fun space for
young people to play ball, connect with others
and more.
The world is a better place because of people
like them.
Backstop Dribble
If the batter hits a foul ball that
hits the backstop fence, and if the
catcher can catch the ball before it
hits the ground?
Not only is the batter out ....
the inning is over and the fielding team
gets to bat an extra inning.
Eyes Closed, Batter
The name says it all. The batter closes
their eyes and swings at the ball as it is
pitched. This becomes a team sport, as
the entire cadre of players shout the
word "swing" when the ball passes
the plate. It's a nearly impossible task to
hit the ball!
hit the Coin
Here, a quarter is used instead of
a baseball. As you can imagine,
this is more of a spectator sport,
as it is quite amusing to see batters
trying to hit a coin.
(Years ago, JM offered $100 to anyone
who could hit the quarter, and one batter did.
JM framed the $100 bill for the hitter, and his wife put
an end to this expensive version of the game.)
Trash Can Catch
Get a foul ball into the trash can,
and you get a run, and a Little Debbie
cupcake.