Episode 13 - Pitch and Bat Games

For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast·podcast_episode·7m 0s·analyzed·Mar 24, 2015

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.017

TL;DR

Pitch-and-bat games: 1950s-60s baseball EM machines blending pinball with baseball, featuring innovation like Running Man animations.

Summary

Nick Baldridge explores pitch-and-bat games, a category of baseball-themed electromechanical machines popular in the 1950s-60s that blended pinball mechanics with baseball simulation. He discusses the technical architecture (pitching motors, bat solenoids, electromagnets for pitch variation), design innovations like Williams' Running Man backglass animations and double-decker scoring, manufacturing economics, and collecting considerations. Pitch-and-bats are positioned as historically significant precursors to modern pinball that advanced animation technology.

Key Claims

Pitch-and-bat games were popular in the 1950s and 1960s and operated on a coin deposit that bought a certain number of pitches
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, opening explanation of pitch-and-bat category
Williams' Running Man unit games featured backglass animations of a baseball player running bases, with the player dropping out of sight each time returning home and the next player jumping in to score a run
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, detailed description of Running Man mechanics
Williams pitch-and-bats introduced double-decker scoring and later ramp mechanics for home runs
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, discussing scoring evolution in Williams games
Pitch-and-bats were probably very profitable to manufacture because they had fewer moving parts than pinball games and were easier to maintain on location
medium confidence · Nick Baldridge, speculation on manufacturing economics
Pitch-and-bats can be found relatively inexpensively unless they feature a Running Man unit or double scoring, which significantly increase price
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, pricing guidance for collectors
The Running Man unit and double-scoring animations were innovations that helped advance pinball art, particularly backglass animation technique that is 'lost in today's games'
medium confidence · Nick Baldridge, historical assessment of pitch-and-bat innovation legacy
Midway pitch-and-bat games used motors for scoring instead of solenoid-driven score reels, allowing smooth score reel movement but causing reset and replay tracking difficulties
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, based on personal experience servicing a mid-1960s Midway pitch-and-bat
Many manufacturers made pitch-and-bat games, with Williams and Chicago Coin being prominent producers with internals that more closely resembled pinball games compared to Midway's motor-based approach
high confidence · Nick Baldridge, comparing manufacturer approaches to pitch-and-bat design

Notable Quotes

“These were games that were popular in the 50s and 60s and they are baseball games. In order to play the baseball game, you would deposit your money, and that would buy you a certain number of pitches.”
Nick Baldridge @ ~0:30 — Sets up the fundamental operating model of pitch-and-bat games
“In Williams' Running Man unit games, which are usually the most feature-filled and attractive of the pitch-and-bats, you would have a back-glass animation of a baseball player that would run bases, and every time that he made it back to home plate, he would drop out of sight, and the next player would jump in.”
Nick Baldridge @ ~2:00 — Explains the innovative Running Man backglass animation mechanism that became iconic
“Items like the Running Man unit were used in Backglass animations moving through the 50s and 60s an art that seems to be lost in today games”
Nick Baldridge @ ~3:30 — Reflects on the historical loss of mechanical animation artistry in modern pinball design
“I think they would be great if you had a gathering of other people but I feel like they would get old especially if they were only the only game in your collection”
Nick Baldridge @ ~4:15 — Personal collecting perspective on pitch-and-bat appeal and long-term playability
“Pitch and bats can be found relatively inexpensively, similar to bingos, unless you're looking for one with a running man unit. That typically jumps the price up quite a bit.”
Nick Baldridge @ ~4:40 — Establishes collecting market segmentation based on feature tier (Running Man premium pricing)

Entities

Nick BaldridgepersonWilliamscompany Chicago Coincompany MidwaycompanyRunning MangameFor Amusement Onlyorganization

Signals

?
historical_signal: Pitch-and-bat games from the 1950s-60s served as innovation laboratories for backglass animation technology (Running Man unit) that later became standard in pinball design; host notes this 'art seems to be lost in today's games'
high · Nick Baldridge: 'Items like the Running Man unit were used in Backglass animations moving through the 50s and 60s an art that seems to be lost in today games'
?
historical_signal: Pitch-and-bat games likely had superior manufacturing margins compared to pinball due to fewer moving parts and lower maintenance burden on location operators
medium · Nick Baldridge: 'they were probably very profitable to make because there are fewer moving parts than in a pin game, and they were probably easier to maintain on location'
?
collector_signal: Pitch-and-bat market splits into budget tier (standard games, relatively inexpensive) and premium tier (Running Man and double-scoring variants commanding significant price premiums)
high · Nick Baldridge: 'Pitch and bats can be found relatively inexpensively...unless you're looking for one with a running man unit. That typically jumps the price up quite a bit'
?
restoration_signal: Midway pitch-and-bat games used motor-based scoring versus solenoid-driven score reels used by Williams/Chicago Coin, creating distinct servicing challenges (reset and replay tracking difficulties with motor approach)
high · Nick Baldridge: 'in the midway game they used a motor for scoring instead of solenoid-driven score reel movement. This allows for very smooth score reel movement, but also leads to trouble with resetting'
?

Topics

Pitch-and-bat game mechanics and designprimaryWilliams running man innovations and backglass animationsprimaryElectromechanical pinball history and design evolutionprimaryCollecting and pricing of pitch-and-bat machinessecondaryManufacturing approaches across different manufacturerssecondaryService and maintenance considerations for pitch-and-batssecondary

Sentiment

neutral(0)

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.021

Welcome back to For Amusement Only, this is Nick Baldrige. Apologies if I don't sound my normal self. Again, I don't have my normal equipment and I'm fighting a massive headache. But let's move on to something positive here. I thought for tonight we would talk about pitch and bat games. These were games that were popular in the 50s and 60s and they are baseball games. In order to play the baseball game, you would deposit your money, and that would buy you a certain number of pitches. Depending on the game, it would either follow baseball rules or something more similar to pinball rules with kind of baseball flair. So, an example might be the famous Williams games with the running man unit. In the backbox, most of the mechanisms were located similar to a bingo, and inside the cabinet there was a pitching motor and a bat solenoid, along with a rheostat that allows you to dial in the strength of the bat. in order to actually pitch, you would push a button or pull a lever on the lockdown bar, and then you would push a button or pull a lever to hit the ball Now most games included a magnet an electromagnet that would activate based on a preset curve adjustment that was typically located under the play field near the pitching motor. So certain pitches would be straight, certain pitches would be fast, and certain pitches would be curved, and it all depended on the activation of that electromagnet. In Williams' Running Man unit games, which are usually the most feature-filled and attractive of the pitch-and-bats, you would have a back-glass animation of a baseball player that would run bases, and every time that he made it back to home plate, he would drop out of sight, and the next player would jump in. and a run would be scored. Based on a certain number of runs, you would earn a replay. So in this way, pitch and bats were both born out of pinball and helped to advance pinball. Items like the Running Man unit were used in Backglass animations moving through the 50s and 60s an art that seems to be lost in today games Williams' pitch and bats also started including double-decker scoring. So if you hit the ball with the bat to the back of the field, In earlier games, you would score a certain number of runs based on the target that you hit as you exited the playfield. Later games would have a ramp that you could hit in order to score a home run. as I mentioned these games are very attractive and I find them very fun to play but only in short spurts I think they would be great if you had a gathering of other people but I feel like they would get old especially if they were only the only game in your collection That said, there are some big baseball fans out there, so if you're one of those, this might be right up your alley. Pitch and bats can be found relatively inexpensively, similar to bingos, unless you're looking for one with a running man unit. That typically jumps the price up quite a bit. And those with double scoring also increase in price And those are typically Williams games with the running man unit Many manufacturers made pitch and bats and they were probably very profitable to make because there are fewer moving parts than in a pin game, and they were probably easier to maintain on location. I've only ever shopped a single pitch and bat game and it was a mid-60s midway game and so it was different from the Williams games or the Chicago Coins where the internals more closely resembled a pin game in the midway game they used a motor for scoring instead of solenoid-driven score reel movement. This allows for very smooth score reel movement, but also leads to trouble with resetting and keeping track of what your score is in order to count replays. And with that, I believe we'll close this episode out. Thank you again for listening. my name again is Nicholas Baldridge you can contact me at 4amusementonlypodcast at gmail.com or find us online at 4amusementonly.libsyn.com you can also subscribe on iTunes, Pocket Casts, Stitcher using our RSS feed or any other mechanism you choose and you can listen directly on our website thanks again and I'll talk to you next time Thank you.