Originally posted on emissourian.com.
By Pauline Masson, Pacific Editor | Apr 2, 2016
A pair of weekend athletes spent a couple of days last week cleaning scrub and debris from the vacant lot at Elm and Watson in preparation for summer.
Leonard Parrott III and Paul Weislar II plan a season of fuzzball, the hybrid baseball game that is played with a cork ball bat and denuded tennis balls.
The game, which originated in St. Louis, can be played with as few as two or as many as 10, which is fine with these enthusiasts.
“We put the word out and we’re expecting a lot of players to show up,” Parrott said. “And I mean players of all ages.”
This is a sandlot game where kids are welcome to play with the adults. The rules come from baseball and are modified to fit the situation.
“We take it easy on the kids. They pitch to each other,” Parrott said. “But we’re pretty aggressive with the adults.”
Fuzzball, also known as Indian Ball, can be played in an area from a regular baseball field to a side street or yard because there is no base running.
Some St. Louisans consider the game to be a minor league training ground for future corkball, another quasi baseball game that originated in the streets and alleys of St. Louis.
For the Pacific game, Parrott and Weisler took advantage of a diagonal paved strip of asphalt pavement to set up the pitcher’s mound and batter position. They painted bold orange diagonal strips along the edge of the field to determine the length of a hit ball that qualifies as a single, double, triple, or home run.
A large metal backdrop, painted with the words Hee Haw serves as the catcher.
“If the ball hits that, you’re out,” Parrott said.
Cork & Fuzz 