I saw an empty asphalt schoolyard the other day and it got me thinking about the playground we had near our elementary school.

Other than the large metal swing sets on one end and one basketball hoop on the other side, it was just a rectangular blacktop playing area.

It had two small grass playing fields on both ends, the perfect size for Wiffle ball, and there were painted lines for the game four-square and bases and baselines for kickball or softball.

The playing area itself was a little longer than half a football field, but when you're a kid, it seems even bigger.

What I was thinking about was a game a few of us came up with that was better than softball but a notch below baseball.

We called it tapeball.

We kind of liked the game because it had the basics of baseball without using a baseball. You knew what asphalt would do to your good baseballs. Plus, you could play it in the rain.

You didn't need nine players or so, just three or four per team.

And no running was involved. That way, you could hit a few times per inning and not have to leave the base.

To start, you would take your mangled Wiffle balls and stuff them with rags, socks or T-shirts — whatever you had. Then you wrapped it over and over with electrical tape until it was completely covered a few times.

Next, you stuffed an old Wiffle ball bat with rags, then you taped the bottom really tight.

The idea was for someone to pitch and two or three players to field. Since we didn't use the bases to run, we hit from the side where the basketball net was located.

As someone pitched, hitting it over the fences on the left and right sides meant you were out, so the idea was to hit the ball down the middle.

A ball that fell in was a single, past the baseline from the kickball bases was a double, the grassy area on the far field was a triple and a shot over the swing set was a home run.

You would think we'd run out of tapeballs after a while, but they seemed to last a good while. The electrical tape cut down on the scuff marks, although it always was a highlight if you could smack the tape off the ball.

I don't know how or why this game came along, but we loved it. There were always plenty of fields to play. More than likely it just offered a break from baseball, softball or Wiffle ball every day.

I don't know if anyone invents any new games or makes a variation of old ones, but it was something we did and it was a blast.

As the hitter, I still remember the setting sun at your back and the sun in your eyes as a fielder.

I would like to think the playground is still there — the elementary school was transformed into apartments several years later — but if you have a chance, give the game a try.

After all, baseball stuck around all these years. Maybe tapeball can, too.