1. IN A GAM BALL OF THE CHARACTER SHOWN AND DESCRIBED FOR USE IN A MODIFIED FORM OF A BASEBALL GAME, AN ELONGATED INTEGRAL SOLID BODY OF SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SHAPE OF CORE-LIKE MATERIAL; A CLOSELY-ADHERENT SMOOTH-SURFACE RELATIVELY-THIN RUBBERIZED PROTECTIVE COVER OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS FULLY CLOSING-OFF SURFACE PORES OF AND ENCLOSING SURFACE AREAS OF SAID BODY TO DEFINE A BALL; SAID COATING IMPARTING A SOFTENED RESILIENCY TO SAID BALL; SAID BALL BEING TRANSVERSELY-BOUNDED BY A CONTINUOUS CURVILINEAR PERIPHERY AND HAVING A LENGTH THAT IS GREATER THAN ITS DIAMETER, AND SAID BALL HAVING AT EACH OF ITS LONGITUDINAL ENDS A CENTRALLY-DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY-EXTENDING OPEN-END GROOVE PORTION WHOSE SIDES ARE SLOPED TOWARDS OPPOSITE SIDES OF ITS LONGITUDINAL PERIPHERY AND DEFINE A PAIR OF OPPOSED APEX EDGES ALONG SUCH OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PERIPHERY.