Red Ball

The Red Ball, manufactured by Midway in May 1959, is an early electro-mechanical game, but not a pinball machine: it's an upright "bouncing ball inline game", the second release from Midway Manufacturing Company (formed in 1958 by Henry Ross and Marcine "Iggy" Wolverton, following January 1959's shuffleboard game 'Bumper Shuffle').

Gameplay on the Red Ball centers on its distinctive "bouncing balls" mechanic: 25 balls settle into a pop-up array of 25 holes. The machine features six score reels, though only three are functional. This setup reflects the simple, mechanically ingenious inline games that were part of the amusement landscape alongside true pinball machines in this era.

The Red Ball's upright cabinet measures 26 inches wide, 66 inches high, and 30 inches deep. As an early product from a manufacturer that would go on to become a major force in coin-operated amusements, it offers a glimpse into Midway's earliest days, when its founders had left United Manufacturing Company just weeks before striking out on their own.