StandStill Baseball is a twist on traditional sport

One strike, you’re out.

That’s just one of the many differences between StandStill Baseball and the traditional sport that fans were exposed to Saturday at the Glendale Sports Complex, as two StandStill Baseball exhibition games were played to showcase the game to the public.

StandStill Baseball is the creation and project — about 10 years in development — of Mike Boyd that looks to get everyone, regardless of age or gender, onto a baseball field.

“I wanted to start something that everybody can play and all of a sudden it came alive,” said Boyd, a Burbank resident who has about 50 StandStill Baseball teams and is looking to grow the sport.

It is a revamped version of over-the-line with six-player teams competing on a half-size field within a strict one-hour time limit. A single strike, two foul balls or a cleanly fielded grounder or fly ball record an out. Two balls result in a walk.

Ironically enough, StandStill Baseball doesn’t even utilize bases, as players are awarded for hitting balls past or over fielders with an umpire ruling whether it’s a single, double, triple or home run.

“The key is go back to the drawing board and get better,” Boyd said. “It’s a much gentler game of baseball; it’s a much more nurturing game of baseball and a more inclusive game of baseball. …The goal is to get everybody back into the game of baseball. In fact, the game is no longer baseball. The new game in town is ‘base-all.’ ”

Jay Johnstone, who logged 20 years in the majors, came out to see StandStill Baseball on Saturday and was impressed with what he saw.

“I love the fast pace of it, that’s the great thing,” said Johnstone, who won two World Series championships with the Dodgers and Yankees and played for eight different teams, including a stint with the California Angels. “You can turn it over, turn it over and turn it over so you’re not out there for three hours.

“You don’t have to be a professional player [to play], you just have to come out here and have fun. A lot of guys have played baseball and maybe they didn’t make it [pro], but now they have a chance to come out and play again.”

Baseball still plays a major part in the life of 19-year old Joey Arroyo, thanks to StandStill. He played for Venice High and after graduation he found StandStill as an outlet for his skills.

“I like how it’s faster paced,” he said. “People don’t sit around, you have to be on top of people and you have to hustle, have to yell. It’s an intense game and that’s what I like about it. People can’t get bored watching this game.”

StandStill Baseball will be on display for the next two weeks with two games being played at the Glendale Sports Complex (2200 Fern Lane), Saturday and Aug. 25. Games will start at 8 ad 10:30 a.m. both days.

For more information, visit https://www.standstillbaseball.com.

andrew.shortall@latimes.com