Hit and Run Base-Ball

Hit and Run Base-Ball, released by Williams Electronics in March 1970, is a two-player electro-mechanical bat game, a genre in which players swing a bat mechanism to hit pitched balls rather than using conventional flippers. Housed in a widebody cabinet advertised at 49 inches long, 31 inches wide, and 70 inches high, it carries model number 382 and features backglass and playfield artwork by the prolific pinball artist Christian Marche.

The gameplay captures the feel of baseball in classic pitch-and-bat fashion. Lights on the playfield show the movement of men around the bases as players rack up runs, with seven mini-rollover buttons and two horseshoe lanes shaping the ball's path. Each player's score display tops out at 99 runs, and the game was priced at two plays for 25 cents. The sound package is simple and satisfying: a bell, a buzzer, and a knocker.

A small trivia point for collectors: the game's name varies depending on where you look. The manufacturer's flyer calls it "Hit and Run," the manual's cover shows "Hit & Run," and the backglass reads "Hit and Run Base-Ball." As a late-era Williams bat game, it offers a nostalgic slice of arcade baseball from the electro-mechanical age.