The annual Little Italy Labor Day Stickball Tournament is set to get under way this weekend, marking the 12th year of the downtown sports delight. “Stickball is like baseball in the street, but the difference is you can hit the ball off the buildings, parking meters or anything and it’s in play,” said commissioner Willie Blas. “It’s always a gas.” Five teams will be vying for a championship, but the intrigue of what the game is all about is a good enough reason to catch an old sport making a comeback on the West Coast. The origins of stickball go back to the earlier part of the last century when baseball was truly America’s Pastime and kids spent every spare moment in neighborhoods all over New York City playing the game with a rabid passion. Sadly for many, the country’s culture and trends changed over time. While sports like basketball, football and even soccer gained popularity, stickball was left behind in all but a few pockets in the Northeast. For most folks born in the last 50 years, stickball has been known as a mythical sport played in times gone by. It was talked about in in old movies and in interviews of elderly gentlemen who could also recall when the Dodgers played in Brooklyn. Fast-forward to the last 20 years. The game has been rejuvenated and exported by former New Yorkers. That’s how stickball ended up in San Diego. Transplanted New Yorker Bobby Ortiz came here and spun tales of the game, which led to intrigue among a multitude of former baseball players and current softball players around town. It wasn’t long before the old sport found a new home. In the early years of San Diego stickball, there was a team that practiced year-round and traveled to New York to compete in a tournament hosted there every Memorial Day weekend. After about eight years, local enthusiasts took it to another level and started hosting the Labor Day tournament in Little Italy. The Little Italy Association has been helping put on the tournament since its inception. San Diego stickball tournament has also gained national notoriety, attracting teams every few years from New York, New Jersey, Florida and Puerto Rico. “Two years ago, San Diego actually won it, beating a New York team in the championship game,” Blas said. “But basically, stickball is one big family.” Games this weekend are scheduled to be played from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4 on Columbia Street and India Street. On Sunday, Sept. 5, elimination games begin at 10 a.m. and the finals gets under way at 2 p.m. Sunday’s games will be played on State Street and Columbia Street. Admission is free. Fans are welcome and encouraged to bring a chair. For more information, visit westcoaststickball.com. Stickball: Bronx style For those curious about how stickball is played, here’s a quick rundown of the “Bronx Style” rules used in San Diego. Each team has eight players in the field. There is no pitcher or catcher. The batter tosses the ball in the air, lets it bounce and takes a whack. The batter gets one swing to put the ball in play. A swing and miss, or a foul ball, results in an out. There are no gloves in the field, the bats are thin, rounded and wood (generally taken from rakes or brooms) and the ball is rubber. A team is allowed nine players in the lineup and games last seven innings. A batted ball is in play as long as it hits in fair territory first, no matter what it bounces off of or what direction it caroms. The rest of the rules are just like baseball. One more thing, stickball is played in the middle of the street!