Dick Fuller

04/20/24

I am in process of writing my 1960s memory book. I have a Dick Fuller story/page that I would like to have you review - or request the story to be deleted. You can send me a text message at 402-305-2575 or send me an email to eddiebarnett@live.com

Here is the story chapter... subject to corrections, updates and/or deletions:

Dick Fuller – Wales-Lincoln Baseball/Basketball Teammate
In 1964, St Louis was a long way from Red Oak Iowa, but that is where we were… a long way from “home”. I don’t recall if Dick and Beverly were living there at the time when we first moved to St. Louis, or if they moved there a short time later – not sure. At any rate, country kids from Iowa were comforted by having a schoolmate/teammate living in the area with which we could spend some leisure time. Dick and Beverly would only live in the area for a short time before they moved to Kansas City when Dick got a better job there. But for the short period of time that we were together in St Louis it was comforting to have such homefolk friends with which to spend some time together.

Corkball – The St. Louis Beer Joint/Tavern Game
I have a couple of vivid Dick memories in St Louis - one was the bright red, late model Corvette that he was driving at that time!.. Wow!.. what a car. The other memory of Dick while in St Louis is corkball… the game and the ball.

The corkball itself is a "mini-baseball" that is a 1.6-ounce ball, which is stitched and exactly resembles a miniature baseball. The bat is a standard baseball bat length, except that it has a barrel that measures 1.5 inches in diameter. The game was originally played on the streets and alleys of St. Louis, Missouri, as early as 1890, and over time the game formed leagues all around the country. Corkball, the game, was a result of some St. Louis servicemen introducing the game to their buddies and comrades during World War II and then later during the Korean War. The game has many of the features of baseball, yet can be played in a very small area because there is no base-running.

Over the years, the rules changed to fit a particular circumstance – in the period of time when Dick played the game it had become a tavern and beer joint game. Taverns or bars that had enough lot space at the rear of the building would build “corkball cages” – a totally enclosed wire enclosure, with only three players at a time – a pitcher and catcher, with a batter. Dick was not a beer drinker but he was an outstanding high school baseball pitcher that still loved to play baseball!.. at least the pitching part of the game. The game score was kept by the number of base hits a team would get.

Because the corkball is so light, throwing modified pitches, like curves and sliders, is much easier to do than with a regular baseball, and this was the primary reasons why Dick loved to play the game – he loved to pitch and to throw “junk” pitches – and he was really good at it. When Dick pitched corkball, it was most often, “strike one, strike two, strike three, YER OUT!”.. now batter, go have another beer!.. until he no longer could. It is my understanding that corkball pitching can be very hard on your arm – especially if you are a hard throwing, breaking ball pitcher – as Dick was. I do not recall just how long that Dick played the game, but in St Louis, in 1964, it was sure a memorable time – thanks for the memories, Dick.