1.) The safety factor = the wildness factor + the
lack of equipment factor. When we were in high school,
we came together around corkball. Two groups of kids
who didn't like each other much. Corkball and the
Cardinals championship in '82. When we were trying out the
real corkballs in some games before picking teams for
a league, Chris Hobler decked Bo Koster in the head
right above the eye. Bo was out cold for about a minute
or so, and later even his family (his macho Dad and
his uncle, Rich Koster, local sportswriter and
curmudgeon) thought he needed to see a doc. He had a
concussion. So we got some beers from Cicero's (back then
they would sell to anybody, but Blueberry Hill next
door carded my Mom), talked it over and debated about
whether we should return to fuzz or play real corkball.
We finally concluded that we had seen the worst that
would happen, but we took up a collection for
corkballs, and two Markwort catcher's masks, and some bats,
and baseball batting helmets. and everyone who might
potentially ever catch or umpire a game bought a cup. <br>
2.) For the equipment reasons above plus the cost of
corkballs, I think the cost of playing with the real McCoy
is a reason against the corkball. I have a place
here in Santa Cruz that has already sold me two
corkball bats from St. Louis. The Brinckwirths and I were
up against the same thing (merchant #, accounts,
P.O.s, etc.) until I happened into Jerry's Sports, near
one of our branch librairies where I was working one
day. Jerry was selling keychains with marble-sized
corkballs with tiny lettering that said "Markwort." I
inquired about other Markwort stuff and found that he can
order balls, bats, masks, anything, as long as I am
willing to wait for a Markwort order of more than $100. I
could even fill such an order myself. This is the
advantage of non-corporate anything. Jerry fills the order
at Jerry's Sports. There is only one store. Many
things are like that here in "Communist" Santa Cruz.
<br>Still, the corkballs cost $62 a dozen with shipping and
handling and sales tax, the masks cost $50 each, and bats
cost $25 plus tax (but we will buy bats). Tennis balls
cost $3 for a 4-ball can at the Target behind the
parking lot where we play. No protective equipment
necessary. Cost dictates staying with the fuzzball.