Baffle Ball

The Baffle Ball produced by Keeney and Sons of Chicago in November 1931 marks one of the earliest entries in the fledgling pinball industry. As a Pure Mechanical (PM) tabletop counter game, it relies entirely on physical mechanisms - there are no electronic components and no flippers, which would not appear in pinball for another fifteen years. Players shot balls onto the playfield and relied on skill and luck to land them in scoring positions. A steel stand was available at additional cost.

This machine has an unusual production story. According to the book Pinball 1, Baffle Ball was produced both by Gottlieb in Chicago and by Keeney and Sons at a separate Chicago facility, but under Gottlieb's direction. Both companies began production in November 1931, yet Keeney was actually first to have the game on the production line and first to advertise it, while Gottlieb handled all distribution. Baffle Ball became "the first game to top the 50,000 mark in production and deliveries," though the split between the two factories is unknown.

Because neither Gottlieb nor Keeney put its company name on the games, and the differences between the two productions are minimal if any, the Keeney-built machines are nearly impossible to distinguish from Gottlieb's. As one of the earliest mass-produced pinball games, the Baffle Ball holds significant historical value and offers a unique glimpse into the formative years of the game.