For those of you not familiar with the game Halfball, it has been played since the early 1900's but it was the 70's when the game became very popular. Both young and old alike would often take to the city streets for a challenging game of halfball, also known as "stickball." The halfball or "halfie" is soft and therefore, it is safe and doesn't cause any damage to property. The game was often played against a house or building that had some kind of ledge where over that height would mark a homerun. Fellow stickball player, Stan Greeley of South Boston, tells me that he can still point out all of the halfballs stuck in houses and buildings throughout the neighborhood.

Halfball is played with a broomstick and a hollow rubber ball. The ball however, has been cut in half, which makes hitting the flying saucer like object especially difficult. It has been said that if you could train your hands and eyes to strike a half ball with a broomstick consistently then you have mastered the art of hitting. Professional athletes still use the game today as a teaching aid to improve their hitting skills.

Tournament officials are hoping to attract 32-3-man teams from South Boston and surrounding communities. Halfball teams in the tournament will consist of a pitcher, catcher, and fielder. Hits will consist of singles and homeruns only with one strike being an out. If that kind of draw is reached then Saturday will be a great day of fun, entertainment (DJ, barbecue, etc..), and excitement. If you would like to enter a team or find out more information, please contact Mark Senna (617) 268-5657 or email him at mark3325@hotmail.com. Who knows... maybe Stan Greeley will have a few more houses to point at after the second weekend in September!