VALPARAISO | Officially, they call it cricket, but this isn't really like you what might see every once in a while on an ESPN highlight.

Sam Samardzija's the first to admit the game bears a closer resemblance to stick ball, something that some of you with a few more miles on the odometer grew up doing in the street on many a summer night.

"It's something Jeff and I were taught how to play by our father (Sam), who played it growing up back in Gary," Sam said. "We've played it every summer since we were kids and have passed it on to our families and friends."

Many of those folks -- save for brother Jeff (he's kind of busy with baseball) -- convened on the Samardzija family homestead in Valparaiso on Sunday for the fourth annual Samardzija Cricket Tourney. As usual, the traveling trophy and some serious bragging rights were at stake in the double-elimination event. The 40 or so competitors were paired into two-man teams, and most of the field was comprised of former standout athletes at Valpo High School, including the defending champion duo of Tim and Mike Handlon.

But instead of cash, winners received a wide range of prizes, courtesy of a variety of sponsors -- Under Armour, Anon and Quiksilver to name a few -- that Sam's come to know through Jeff's marketing deals. The prize money, between $500 and $1,000, is being donated to Jacob's Ladder, a pediatric rehabilitation center in Portage for children with genetic disorders such as autism.

"It's something that hits close to home for our family," Samardzija said. "My wife and I are expecting our first child, so we've educated ourselves on things like autism that are out there. (Jacob's Ladder)'s a great place for kids who have autism or other developmental delays."

Samardzija also has bigger plans in store for the charity. Next year, he intends to coordinate a local Wiffle ball tournament in conjunction with the Wiffle 4 Autism organization. He and friends have participated in fundraising events in Indianapolis and Homewood.

"We want to make it a big deal," he said. "It's grown every year, from family, to family and friends, to family, friends and friends of friends. People from all over who are originally from here come back to play."

Joe Average might not be able to relate to cricket/stick ball, but we've all swung that long, skinny yellow bat and thrown the white ball with holes that you just can't throw straight. It's that kind of broad-based appeal that makes Samardzija think it could be a big hit.

I've agreed to participate if they have an over/under division -- over 45 and under 6 feet tall, that is.

Meanwhile, back to Sunday's action, where the Handlons retained the crown, routing Paul Leland and Tony Moon 21-6 in the final with a string of 21 unanswered points.

"Playing baseball in high school definitely helped, the hand-eye coordination," Tim said. "We just played small ball, chipped away and scored a run at a time. If you try to kill the ball, you pull your head and end up whiffing."

Tim Handlon got the icing on the cake, too, taking MVP honors. The LVP, least valuable player, was Samardzija's partner, Cole Robinson, though he still walked away with an orange ski jacket.

"It's really a fun game," Handlon said. "Obviously, it's kind of made up, but once you start playing, the competitive juices start to flow. A lot of these guys are my brother's friends. I was little when they were all in high school. But it's great to meet up with everyone and see how they're doing. Plus, it's for a good cause."

This column solely represents the writer's opinion. Reach him at jpeters@nwitimes.com.