Home Run

Home Run, designed by Ed Krynski with artwork by Gordon Morison, was manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Company in May 1971. This single-player, Add-A-Ball electro-mechanical machine had a confirmed production run of just 580 units, and a replay version of the game was produced under the name 'Playball'.

What sets Home Run apart is its unusual gameplay mechanics. The ball enters the playfield from between the flippers when the right flipper button is pressed, and the player must accumulate 1,000 points per ball before the flippers will work for that ball. This clever design guarantees the player at least 5,000 points across a five-ball game, an unusually player-friendly twist for its era.

With its baseball theme and quintessential early-1970s Gottlieb styling, Home Run is a fascinating piece for collectors interested in the more experimental gameplay ideas of the late electro-mechanical period.