Saturday, July 01, 2006
Being 'a kid at heart' key to backyard game
Rob Deal and Bo Burrell grew up playing Wiffle Ball together as young children.
"We were good in the backyard, and we decided to go try it out in tournaments," Deal said. "We've been addicted to it ever since."
At the Fulton Homes Grand Canyon State Games Wiffle Ball tournament in Tempe on Saturday, they shared their passion with their families.
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The Bat Happy Juniors, featuring Deal and his 8-year-old daughter Jaime, Burrell and his 13-year-old daughter Larisa, and 11-year-old friend Alyssa Ortiz won each of their first two games in Saturday's competition.
The key to their success?
"You have to be a kid at heart, and you have to hit a stupid white plastic ball," said Burrell, who lives in Surprise.
The Bat Happy Juniors scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning of their first game, keyed by a two-run single from Larisa, and came away with a 13-8 win.
When Bo cheered his daughter for her accomplishment - after the hit, she asked, "Is that good?" - she began jumping up and down on the base with excitement.
"That was the first time I've ever done that," she said.
Most of the time, though, the offense comes from the two men - Deal and Burrell have played in Wiffle Ball tournaments since 1993.
"He's the best power hitter," said Deal, a Peoria resident, gesturing at Burrell. "I'm the best average hitter. And the girls, well, the girls are getting much better every time."
"I usually just walk," Alyssa piped up.
Brian MacPherson
The Arizona Republic&nbs
"We were good in the backyard, and we decided to go try it out in tournaments," Deal said. "We've been addicted to it ever since."
At the Fulton Homes Grand Canyon State Games Wiffle Ball tournament in Tempe on Saturday, they shared their passion with their families.
advertisement
The Bat Happy Juniors, featuring Deal and his 8-year-old daughter Jaime, Burrell and his 13-year-old daughter Larisa, and 11-year-old friend Alyssa Ortiz won each of their first two games in Saturday's competition.
The key to their success?
"You have to be a kid at heart, and you have to hit a stupid white plastic ball," said Burrell, who lives in Surprise.
The Bat Happy Juniors scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning of their first game, keyed by a two-run single from Larisa, and came away with a 13-8 win.
When Bo cheered his daughter for her accomplishment - after the hit, she asked, "Is that good?" - she began jumping up and down on the base with excitement.
"That was the first time I've ever done that," she said.
Most of the time, though, the offense comes from the two men - Deal and Burrell have played in Wiffle Ball tournaments since 1993.
"He's the best power hitter," said Deal, a Peoria resident, gesturing at Burrell. "I'm the best average hitter. And the girls, well, the girls are getting much better every time."
"I usually just walk," Alyssa piped up.
Brian MacPherson
The Arizona Republic&nbs
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Kingston student takes part in Fenway Wiffle Ball tourney
YBN- Friday, June 23, 2006
Student members of the Western New England College Sports Management Association participated in the 3rd Annual "Wiffle Your Way To Fenway" Wiffle Ball tournament at Fenway Park in Boston, home of the Boston Red Sox.
The students - Sport Management Assocation President Scott Bullis of Barre, Vermont; Sports Management Association Vice President Marc Murphy of Watertown, N.Y.; Jim Healy of Kingston; and Rob Crouse, Evan Whitman, Nate Lemoine, and Tim Turoczy, all of Adams, Mass. - were invited to play in the tournament. Proceeds from the tournament went to a Red Sox charity.
Select colleges from the New England region were invited to hold their own Wiffle Ball tournaments with the winning team from each school receiving an invite to participate at Fenway Park. The Western New England College Sports Management Association organized the tournament at the College.
At Fenway Park, the teams played in a make-shift Wiffle Ball field out in left field in front of the famed Green Monster. The Western New England College team finished the day with a 4-0-1 record. After the tournament, the teams were invited into the Red Sox clubhouse for a dinner and given trophies, Red Sox souvenirs, and tickets to a future Red Sox home game.
The Western New England College Sports Management Association assists students with networking opportunities and provides them with real-world experiences by hosting many events and projects throughout the school year. Western New England College is located in Springfield, Mass.&nbs
Student members of the Western New England College Sports Management Association participated in the 3rd Annual "Wiffle Your Way To Fenway" Wiffle Ball tournament at Fenway Park in Boston, home of the Boston Red Sox.
The students - Sport Management Assocation President Scott Bullis of Barre, Vermont; Sports Management Association Vice President Marc Murphy of Watertown, N.Y.; Jim Healy of Kingston; and Rob Crouse, Evan Whitman, Nate Lemoine, and Tim Turoczy, all of Adams, Mass. - were invited to play in the tournament. Proceeds from the tournament went to a Red Sox charity.
Select colleges from the New England region were invited to hold their own Wiffle Ball tournaments with the winning team from each school receiving an invite to participate at Fenway Park. The Western New England College Sports Management Association organized the tournament at the College.
At Fenway Park, the teams played in a make-shift Wiffle Ball field out in left field in front of the famed Green Monster. The Western New England College team finished the day with a 4-0-1 record. After the tournament, the teams were invited into the Red Sox clubhouse for a dinner and given trophies, Red Sox souvenirs, and tickets to a future Red Sox home game.
The Western New England College Sports Management Association assists students with networking opportunities and provides them with real-world experiences by hosting many events and projects throughout the school year. Western New England College is located in Springfield, Mass.&nbs
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Taunton Wiffle Ball tournament to aid PTO programs
YBN-
TAUNTON Ń While many have dreamed of playing baseball in Fenway Park, most won't get the chance to play in the major leagues.
But if you live in Taunton, there is a chance that you can play ball near the city's version of the Green Monster. Not baseball exactly, but close.
On Saturday, the Parker Middle School Parent/Teacher Organization is hosting a Wiffle Ball tournament on Taunton High School grounds, which will be transformed into a replica Green Monster field for the day.
The proceeds from the event will benefit the Parker Middle School PTO and be used for anything from school events to subsidizing the cost of field trips.
Teams of middle school students, high school students and adults are welcome to participate.
"We thought it would be a different way to get the whole community involved," said PTO member Phil Johnson, who organized the fundraiser.
Using a past game as his inspiration, Johnson modeled the tournament on one he played in years ago with his sons in Boston.
The Johnson family played ball at the Hynes Convention Center on a replica of the Fenway Park field around the time of the 1999 Red Sox All-Star game.
"It was a lot of fun," he said.
Johnson wanted to give Taunton fans a chance to play ball alongside the Green Monster. So he and PTO member Steve Daniel are constructing a 10- by 24-foot version of the famed left-field wall for Saturday's tournament.
"Most people aren't going to be able to play at Fenway Park," Johnson said. "This is a unique opportunity."
Winning teams will receive trophies at the end of the day. And official wiffleball rules will be used in this double-elimination tournament.
The day's events will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The games will be played in teams of four. Teams can consist of all men, all women or be intramural. No divisions will play against each other and every team will get the chance to play in at least two games.
The cost to register is $20 per middle school or high school team and $40 per adult team. General admission is $1.
Refreshments will be available for purchase.
Johnson said he hopes they will raise at least $1,500 for the PTO.
By Tessa Fitzgerald, Enterprise correspondent&nbs
TAUNTON Ń While many have dreamed of playing baseball in Fenway Park, most won't get the chance to play in the major leagues.
But if you live in Taunton, there is a chance that you can play ball near the city's version of the Green Monster. Not baseball exactly, but close.
On Saturday, the Parker Middle School Parent/Teacher Organization is hosting a Wiffle Ball tournament on Taunton High School grounds, which will be transformed into a replica Green Monster field for the day.
The proceeds from the event will benefit the Parker Middle School PTO and be used for anything from school events to subsidizing the cost of field trips.
Teams of middle school students, high school students and adults are welcome to participate.
"We thought it would be a different way to get the whole community involved," said PTO member Phil Johnson, who organized the fundraiser.
Using a past game as his inspiration, Johnson modeled the tournament on one he played in years ago with his sons in Boston.
The Johnson family played ball at the Hynes Convention Center on a replica of the Fenway Park field around the time of the 1999 Red Sox All-Star game.
"It was a lot of fun," he said.
Johnson wanted to give Taunton fans a chance to play ball alongside the Green Monster. So he and PTO member Steve Daniel are constructing a 10- by 24-foot version of the famed left-field wall for Saturday's tournament.
"Most people aren't going to be able to play at Fenway Park," Johnson said. "This is a unique opportunity."
Winning teams will receive trophies at the end of the day. And official wiffleball rules will be used in this double-elimination tournament.
The day's events will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The games will be played in teams of four. Teams can consist of all men, all women or be intramural. No divisions will play against each other and every team will get the chance to play in at least two games.
The cost to register is $20 per middle school or high school team and $40 per adult team. General admission is $1.
Refreshments will be available for purchase.
Johnson said he hopes they will raise at least $1,500 for the PTO.
By Tessa Fitzgerald, Enterprise correspondent&nbs
Sunday, May 07, 2006
30K to play Wiffleball with David Ortiz
Drew Sawyer spends his days managing investments, but it was at night that the Boston Red Sox fan made what he thinks is one the greatest buys of his career: A game of Wiffle Ball with Red Sox slugger David Ortiz.
The price? $30,000.
"I evaluated it as being priceless," Sawyer said. "So we got a steal."
Sawyer said he wasn't planning on bidding on the auction item, but he and his buddies got caught up in the bidding frenzy.
"When it was over, my wife was a little bit shocked," he said.
Sawyer and two of his friends, all graduates of Harvard Business School, were the winning bidders in the auction that took place Thursday night. Ortiz donated his time to Good Sports, a Boston-based nonprofit that distributes sports equipment to community-based athletic programs in low-income, urban areas.
As part of the auction, David Littlefield -- also known as The Sausage Guy, who is famous for the meat he sells outside Fenway Park -- will come to the game. The Red Sox's cable television outlet, NESN, plans on broadcasting highlights from the game.
"I came home and told my kids that we won the auction, and they didn't believe me," Sawyer said.
The date of the game has not been determined, and neither has the back-yard location.
"We are going to pack the place and have a lot of fans," Sawyer said. "For a Red Sox fan, this is the ultimate. Kids just really identify with Big Papi."
Red Sox fans tend to pony up big bucks for auctions such as this. In December, a fan paid $16,100 to have lunch with general manager Theo Epstein.&nbs
The price? $30,000.
"I evaluated it as being priceless," Sawyer said. "So we got a steal."
Sawyer said he wasn't planning on bidding on the auction item, but he and his buddies got caught up in the bidding frenzy.
"When it was over, my wife was a little bit shocked," he said.
Sawyer and two of his friends, all graduates of Harvard Business School, were the winning bidders in the auction that took place Thursday night. Ortiz donated his time to Good Sports, a Boston-based nonprofit that distributes sports equipment to community-based athletic programs in low-income, urban areas.
As part of the auction, David Littlefield -- also known as The Sausage Guy, who is famous for the meat he sells outside Fenway Park -- will come to the game. The Red Sox's cable television outlet, NESN, plans on broadcasting highlights from the game.
"I came home and told my kids that we won the auction, and they didn't believe me," Sawyer said.
The date of the game has not been determined, and neither has the back-yard location.
"We are going to pack the place and have a lot of fans," Sawyer said. "For a Red Sox fan, this is the ultimate. Kids just really identify with Big Papi."
Red Sox fans tend to pony up big bucks for auctions such as this. In December, a fan paid $16,100 to have lunch with general manager Theo Epstein.&nbs
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Wrigley replica project brings Santo to region
YBN- FREEPORT -- Ron Santo lived a dream playing for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Next month, he will contribute to a dream to build a Wrigley Field replica in Freeport.
The longtime Chicago third baseman who has been a Cubs broadcaster on WGN radio now for 17 years, will be in Freeport on May 15 for Ron Santo Day, sponsored by FHN, to raise funds for Little Cubs Field.
The fund-raiser will be at Freeport's Read Park, the future site of the scaled-down but highly accurate replica of Wrigley Field. Ron Santo Day will be a chance for the young -- and the young-at-heart -- to rub elbows with Santo. He will be on hand to visit with his fans, sign autographs -- and maybe even play a little catch -- with his northwest Illinois fans.
"I grew up loving baseball, and, like a lot of kids today, I dreamed of playing at Wrigley Field," Santo says. "The people building Little Cubs Field had that dream, too -- and I'm proud to help them make it happen right here in Freeport."
"We're happy to be able to help support this project for the Freeport area," says Mike Perry, M.D., president and CEO of FHN. "It will be a very positive attraction for visitors, and also a great place for local families to get out and have fun spending time together, which is an important element in staying healthy. It will also encourage exercise, which is key to wellness."
Little Cubs Field will be built to the exact scale of Wrigley Field, but smaller. The Chicago Cubs organization has provided a cutting of ivy from Wrigley Field to help establish ivy-covered brick outfield walls at Little Cubs Field, and everything from the traditional hand-operated scoreboard to the famous admission sign and the green doors onto the field will give Little Cubs Field an authentic Wrigley feel.
Little Cubs Field will be sized for adult and children's Wiffle ball, peewee baseball, minor league girls' softball and adult and children's kickball, and will be available for everything from league play to school and church group events to corporate outings. When it isn't reserved for a special occasion, the park will be open to the public so anyone can enjoy the "big-league" ambience. Read Park, the home of Little Cubs Field, also is the home of Freeport Little League.
Some of the planned events include a short speech from Santo, a silent auction for signed Ron Santo items and special opportunities to meet Ron Santo. Ron also will throw out the very first pitch from the spot of the pitchers mound at Little Cubs Field to one lucky youth.
All proceeds from Ron Santo Day will help to build Little Cubs Field.&nbs
YBN- FREEPORT -- Ron Santo lived a dream playing for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Next month, he will contribute to a dream to build a Wrigley Field replica in Freeport.
The longtime Chicago third baseman who has been a Cubs broadcaster on WGN radio now for 17 years, will be in Freeport on May 15 for Ron Santo Day, sponsored by FHN, to raise funds for Little Cubs Field.
The fund-raiser will be at Freeport's Read Park, the future site of the scaled-down but highly accurate replica of Wrigley Field. Ron Santo Day will be a chance for the young -- and the young-at-heart -- to rub elbows with Santo. He will be on hand to visit with his fans, sign autographs -- and maybe even play a little catch -- with his northwest Illinois fans.
"I grew up loving baseball, and, like a lot of kids today, I dreamed of playing at Wrigley Field," Santo says. "The people building Little Cubs Field had that dream, too -- and I'm proud to help them make it happen right here in Freeport."
"We're happy to be able to help support this project for the Freeport area," says Mike Perry, M.D., president and CEO of FHN. "It will be a very positive attraction for visitors, and also a great place for local families to get out and have fun spending time together, which is an important element in staying healthy. It will also encourage exercise, which is key to wellness."
Little Cubs Field will be built to the exact scale of Wrigley Field, but smaller. The Chicago Cubs organization has provided a cutting of ivy from Wrigley Field to help establish ivy-covered brick outfield walls at Little Cubs Field, and everything from the traditional hand-operated scoreboard to the famous admission sign and the green doors onto the field will give Little Cubs Field an authentic Wrigley feel.
Little Cubs Field will be sized for adult and children's Wiffle ball, peewee baseball, minor league girls' softball and adult and children's kickball, and will be available for everything from league play to school and church group events to corporate outings. When it isn't reserved for a special occasion, the park will be open to the public so anyone can enjoy the "big-league" ambience. Read Park, the home of Little Cubs Field, also is the home of Freeport Little League.
Some of the planned events include a short speech from Santo, a silent auction for signed Ron Santo items and special opportunities to meet Ron Santo. Ron also will throw out the very first pitch from the spot of the pitchers mound at Little Cubs Field to one lucky youth.
All proceeds from Ron Santo Day will help to build Little Cubs Field.&nbs
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Kids get baseball basics with a Wiffle ball spin
League play re-creates ballpark action in church gym
Rookie Kristina Geiger's pitches can be a little wild at times.
Reminiscent of "Nuke" LaLoosh, the fictional baseball pitcher played by Tim Robbins in "Bull Durham," she'll throw one into the carpet and then the next pitch will sail over the hitter's head. Sometimes the batter connects, and there is a hollow thwomp! as bat hits ball.
It's easy to forgive the rough edges of her delivery style, though. She's only 7 years old, and she's not pitching a baseball, but a hollow Wiffle ball that has a tendency to do some strange things when the thrower puts some spin on it.
"She's never played baseball before, and she loves it," said Kristina's mother, Kathi Geiger of Wausau.
So Kristina makes up for her inexperience with enthusiasm. She rears back and delivers with a quick step off the mound, throwing with a blur of arm. Her long pony tail, which rests on her back when she's standing still, flies up in a fan of hair when she throws.
Kristina's learning the game through the Woodson YMCA's Wiffle ball league, which is open to children ages 7 to 11. It's held at Highland Community Church once a week, alternating between Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. These kinds of leagues are common, but Steve Foster, the league's commissioner, takes it to a whole other level for the league's 100 players, spread out over 10 teams.
Foster, the youth pastor at Highland Community Church, is a former manager of the Wausau Woodchucks. In partnership with the YMCA, he is the driving force behind the league. He uses thin plywood sheets, paint and a little imagination to recreate professional ballparks in the church gymnasium. On Friday, it was Dolphins Stadium, the home park of the Florida Marlins.
Foster adds to the professional flavor of the experience by being the announcer and using the church's sound system to pipe in music. It gives the kids a bit of a thrill, and parents and relatives, who pack the stands made of folding chairs, love it too.
"It's a great baseball league," Kathi Geiger said. "It teaches them the fundamentals of baseball. It's a baseball atmosphere."
But there are limits to how far the league goes to provide an authentic baseball experience. There is, for example, no talk of random drug testing.
"Steroids have not been an issue -- hyperactivity has," Foster said. "Tobacco is not an issue, but spilled coffee on the carpet is."
The instant replay discussion also is muted.
"In a league like this, I don't think it's necessary," said umpire Nick Schilling, who is also the YMCA youth program director. "It's about fun and sportsmanship."
The league does teach kids a lot about the game, Foster said.
It's not easy.
"You never know where the ball is going," Kristina Geiger said, after her Friday night game.
By Keith Uhlig
Wausau Daily Herald
kuhlig@wdhprint.com&nbs
Rookie Kristina Geiger's pitches can be a little wild at times.
Reminiscent of "Nuke" LaLoosh, the fictional baseball pitcher played by Tim Robbins in "Bull Durham," she'll throw one into the carpet and then the next pitch will sail over the hitter's head. Sometimes the batter connects, and there is a hollow thwomp! as bat hits ball.
It's easy to forgive the rough edges of her delivery style, though. She's only 7 years old, and she's not pitching a baseball, but a hollow Wiffle ball that has a tendency to do some strange things when the thrower puts some spin on it.
"She's never played baseball before, and she loves it," said Kristina's mother, Kathi Geiger of Wausau.
So Kristina makes up for her inexperience with enthusiasm. She rears back and delivers with a quick step off the mound, throwing with a blur of arm. Her long pony tail, which rests on her back when she's standing still, flies up in a fan of hair when she throws.
Kristina's learning the game through the Woodson YMCA's Wiffle ball league, which is open to children ages 7 to 11. It's held at Highland Community Church once a week, alternating between Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons. These kinds of leagues are common, but Steve Foster, the league's commissioner, takes it to a whole other level for the league's 100 players, spread out over 10 teams.
Foster, the youth pastor at Highland Community Church, is a former manager of the Wausau Woodchucks. In partnership with the YMCA, he is the driving force behind the league. He uses thin plywood sheets, paint and a little imagination to recreate professional ballparks in the church gymnasium. On Friday, it was Dolphins Stadium, the home park of the Florida Marlins.
Foster adds to the professional flavor of the experience by being the announcer and using the church's sound system to pipe in music. It gives the kids a bit of a thrill, and parents and relatives, who pack the stands made of folding chairs, love it too.
"It's a great baseball league," Kathi Geiger said. "It teaches them the fundamentals of baseball. It's a baseball atmosphere."
But there are limits to how far the league goes to provide an authentic baseball experience. There is, for example, no talk of random drug testing.
"Steroids have not been an issue -- hyperactivity has," Foster said. "Tobacco is not an issue, but spilled coffee on the carpet is."
The instant replay discussion also is muted.
"In a league like this, I don't think it's necessary," said umpire Nick Schilling, who is also the YMCA youth program director. "It's about fun and sportsmanship."
The league does teach kids a lot about the game, Foster said.
It's not easy.
"You never know where the ball is going," Kristina Geiger said, after her Friday night game.
By Keith Uhlig
Wausau Daily Herald
kuhlig@wdhprint.com&nbs
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Morning Rotary aims for the fences, hoops with downtown tournaments
By Jeff Bollier
of The Northwestern
Once confined to the realm of backyard games on late summer evenings, Wiffle Ball will step up to bat as the newest effort to bring people to downtown Oshkosh this fall.
The Oshkosh Morning Rotary and Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District hope to hit a home run Š even if itÕs a short one Š with 3-on-3 Wiffle Ball and basketball tournaments on Oct. 8, when they will block off Pearl Avenue and Commerce Street.
The Downtown BID Board of Directors provided $500 for the dual tournaments during its monthly meeting Tuesday morning after Oshkosh Morning Rotary President Larry Pasquini pitched the event as ŅConquer the Concrete.Ó
ŅThe Wiffle Ball tournamentÕs a new thing,Ó Pasquini said. ŅWe think it will catch on with the younger crowd. We want to bring people downtown, especially on a Saturday.Ó
The basketball tournament would be patterned after a similar tournament each spring in downtown Neenah. It would cost teams $75 to register.
Registration for the Wiffle Ball tournament would cost $55 per team.
The unique, plastic white balls with eight oblong perforations took its roots in the backyards of Fairfield, Conn., more than 45 years ago when David and Stephen MullanyÕs grandfather cut holes in a plastic ball to make it easier for his 12-year-old son to play a modified version of baseball, according to the official Wiffle Ball Web site. The first commercial Wiffles were produced for sale in 1953 and the game took off from there.
Now, Play It Again Sports Manager Matt Purchatzke said the South Koeller Road store has sold out of the yellow bat and ball combination, which retails for around $7.99.
ŅIt was kind of more popular with kids back in the day,Ó Purchatzke said.
Jeff Bollier: (920) 426-6688 or jbollier@thenorthwestern.com&nbs
of The Northwestern
Once confined to the realm of backyard games on late summer evenings, Wiffle Ball will step up to bat as the newest effort to bring people to downtown Oshkosh this fall.
The Oshkosh Morning Rotary and Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District hope to hit a home run Š even if itÕs a short one Š with 3-on-3 Wiffle Ball and basketball tournaments on Oct. 8, when they will block off Pearl Avenue and Commerce Street.
The Downtown BID Board of Directors provided $500 for the dual tournaments during its monthly meeting Tuesday morning after Oshkosh Morning Rotary President Larry Pasquini pitched the event as ŅConquer the Concrete.Ó
ŅThe Wiffle Ball tournamentÕs a new thing,Ó Pasquini said. ŅWe think it will catch on with the younger crowd. We want to bring people downtown, especially on a Saturday.Ó
The basketball tournament would be patterned after a similar tournament each spring in downtown Neenah. It would cost teams $75 to register.
Registration for the Wiffle Ball tournament would cost $55 per team.
The unique, plastic white balls with eight oblong perforations took its roots in the backyards of Fairfield, Conn., more than 45 years ago when David and Stephen MullanyÕs grandfather cut holes in a plastic ball to make it easier for his 12-year-old son to play a modified version of baseball, according to the official Wiffle Ball Web site. The first commercial Wiffles were produced for sale in 1953 and the game took off from there.
Now, Play It Again Sports Manager Matt Purchatzke said the South Koeller Road store has sold out of the yellow bat and ball combination, which retails for around $7.99.
ŅIt was kind of more popular with kids back in the day,Ó Purchatzke said.
Jeff Bollier: (920) 426-6688 or jbollier@thenorthwestern.com&nbs
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Having a (wiffle) ball
By ROBERT STERN
TRENTON - It seems there's a tournament for just about anything these days - from hot dog-eating to bird-watching.
Wiffle Ball tournaments have been the passion of Trenton police officer Michael Palinczar for the past 15 years.
That's right, there are adult tournaments of Wiffle Ball, the childhood sport that has become as American as baseball - the game that inspired Wiffle's founding 51 years ago.
"It's great for the inner city because with baseball you need a lot of space, you need a lot of money," Palinczar said. "Wiffle Ball is cheap. With a couple balls and a bat, you can play for hours."
"For a lot of the guys, it brings the kid out in them," said Palinczar, who has been playing Wiffle Ball for most of his 33 years.
Yesterday, the city's Cadwalader Park hosted one of Wiffle's big New Jersey tournaments - the 15th annual Summer Showdown - organized by the New Jersey Wiffle Ball Association, over which Palinczar presides.
Wiffle Ball isn't yet the kind of event - at least judging by yesterday's tournament - that draws television camera crews or commercial sponsors.
But several beer and tobacco companies no doubt would be pleased to know that their products were popular among some of the players.
The day-long tournament drew its 42 teams (with two to five players each) from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
There was even a player who makes an annual Wiffle Ball trek from Illinois to the Trenton tournament, said Palinczar, who stood on the sidelines this year to oversee the competition.
Unlike baseball and softball, yesterday's Wiffle Ball didn't require any base running and allowed just a third of baseball's nine fielders. It consisted of five-inning games (though six are typical by New Jersey Wiffle Ball Association rules), and was played on fields that are less than a third the size of professional baseball fields.
J.R. DeFrancesco and his teammates from North Haven, Conn., weren't looking to strike it rich by playing Wiffle Ball.
"It's an excuse to come down here and drink all weekend, to have a good time," said DeFrancesco, who described himself as a 24-year-old business analyst.
DeFrancesco said his team got started five years ago and has played in Wiffle Ball tournaments in Trenton, Boston and Connecticut.
"We slept through the wake-up call, then got lost on the way here," he said. "Some teams are more serious than others. We're more the hanging-out team."
John Franolich's Ocean County team - Manchester Flatline - appeared to be among those taking a more serious, studious approach to the competition.
Wiffle Ball is a family affair for the 35-year-old Franolich. Flatline consists of John Franolich and his 30-year-old brother, Chad Franolich, as well as John's 17-year-old son, Billy.
"We've been playing since we've been kids, that's all, just like anybody else," John Franolich said.
As he and his teammates watched a game between two other teams yesterday, John Franolich marveled at the zip and movement that one of the pitchers in that game put on the ball, causing opposing batters to whiff time and again with their aluminum bats.
Flatline had lost each of its first two games it had played in the tournament, John Franolich said.
"I think it's easier to hit a baseball," he said. "It's a tough sport."
"When you say it to people, they kind of snicker. But it definitely is a lot tougher than people think," he said.
Since Wiffle Ball tournaments have taken the game out of the back yards of their childhoods for Wiffle-loving adults like Mike Palinczar, some people might wonder what Wiffle Ball's founding family, which still owns and operates The Wiffle Ball Inc. in Shelton, Conn., thinks of the phenomenon.
David A. Mullany, who retired as the company's president last year and was 13 when his father launched Wiffle, doesn't object to organized tournaments but prefers the backyard pick-up version of Wiffle Ball.
"The way my mind is bent, everything is so organized in our society these days that it's kind of nice to go out in the back yard or out in the city street and play it as a pick-up game," the 64-year-old Mullany said.
"I just know it's a great way to beat the hell out of your best friend without drawing blood," he said.
In yesterday's Summer Showdown, which was split into an upper-level and a lower-level division, a New York City team won the upper-level title over a rival from Parsippany, while a Clifton team defeated a Southampton, Pa., squad for the lower-level crown, Palinczar said. The four finalists shared a $1,000 prize.
On the Net: www.wiffleballusa.com&nbs
TRENTON - It seems there's a tournament for just about anything these days - from hot dog-eating to bird-watching.
Wiffle Ball tournaments have been the passion of Trenton police officer Michael Palinczar for the past 15 years.
That's right, there are adult tournaments of Wiffle Ball, the childhood sport that has become as American as baseball - the game that inspired Wiffle's founding 51 years ago.
"It's great for the inner city because with baseball you need a lot of space, you need a lot of money," Palinczar said. "Wiffle Ball is cheap. With a couple balls and a bat, you can play for hours."
"For a lot of the guys, it brings the kid out in them," said Palinczar, who has been playing Wiffle Ball for most of his 33 years.
Yesterday, the city's Cadwalader Park hosted one of Wiffle's big New Jersey tournaments - the 15th annual Summer Showdown - organized by the New Jersey Wiffle Ball Association, over which Palinczar presides.
Wiffle Ball isn't yet the kind of event - at least judging by yesterday's tournament - that draws television camera crews or commercial sponsors.
But several beer and tobacco companies no doubt would be pleased to know that their products were popular among some of the players.
The day-long tournament drew its 42 teams (with two to five players each) from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
There was even a player who makes an annual Wiffle Ball trek from Illinois to the Trenton tournament, said Palinczar, who stood on the sidelines this year to oversee the competition.
Unlike baseball and softball, yesterday's Wiffle Ball didn't require any base running and allowed just a third of baseball's nine fielders. It consisted of five-inning games (though six are typical by New Jersey Wiffle Ball Association rules), and was played on fields that are less than a third the size of professional baseball fields.
J.R. DeFrancesco and his teammates from North Haven, Conn., weren't looking to strike it rich by playing Wiffle Ball.
"It's an excuse to come down here and drink all weekend, to have a good time," said DeFrancesco, who described himself as a 24-year-old business analyst.
DeFrancesco said his team got started five years ago and has played in Wiffle Ball tournaments in Trenton, Boston and Connecticut.
"We slept through the wake-up call, then got lost on the way here," he said. "Some teams are more serious than others. We're more the hanging-out team."
John Franolich's Ocean County team - Manchester Flatline - appeared to be among those taking a more serious, studious approach to the competition.
Wiffle Ball is a family affair for the 35-year-old Franolich. Flatline consists of John Franolich and his 30-year-old brother, Chad Franolich, as well as John's 17-year-old son, Billy.
"We've been playing since we've been kids, that's all, just like anybody else," John Franolich said.
As he and his teammates watched a game between two other teams yesterday, John Franolich marveled at the zip and movement that one of the pitchers in that game put on the ball, causing opposing batters to whiff time and again with their aluminum bats.
Flatline had lost each of its first two games it had played in the tournament, John Franolich said.
"I think it's easier to hit a baseball," he said. "It's a tough sport."
"When you say it to people, they kind of snicker. But it definitely is a lot tougher than people think," he said.
Since Wiffle Ball tournaments have taken the game out of the back yards of their childhoods for Wiffle-loving adults like Mike Palinczar, some people might wonder what Wiffle Ball's founding family, which still owns and operates The Wiffle Ball Inc. in Shelton, Conn., thinks of the phenomenon.
David A. Mullany, who retired as the company's president last year and was 13 when his father launched Wiffle, doesn't object to organized tournaments but prefers the backyard pick-up version of Wiffle Ball.
"The way my mind is bent, everything is so organized in our society these days that it's kind of nice to go out in the back yard or out in the city street and play it as a pick-up game," the 64-year-old Mullany said.
"I just know it's a great way to beat the hell out of your best friend without drawing blood," he said.
In yesterday's Summer Showdown, which was split into an upper-level and a lower-level division, a New York City team won the upper-level title over a rival from Parsippany, while a Clifton team defeated a Southampton, Pa., squad for the lower-level crown, Palinczar said. The four finalists shared a $1,000 prize.
On the Net: www.wiffleballusa.com&nbs
Monday, August 15, 2005
Area Wiffle Ball tournament generates scholarship funds
By DALE MEGGAS
The News Sun
By day, Kelley Worden is the parish nurse at Lakewood Presbyterian Church on Detroit Avenue and her husband, David is an information technician at Fairview Hospital.
But one weekend a year in early August, the Wordens along with their 21-year-old son David, see their share of Wiffle Balls flying over temporary fences.
The fifth annual JAYBall Wiffle Ball Tournament took place at Brook Park Recreation with the winners being those from Midpark High School who will receive scholarship money from proceeds collected from the tournament, which honors Jayson Worden, who died in a 2000 car accident.
With five fields covering the outfield area of a regulation baseball field, the 2005 JAYBall tournament was played on the soft grassy area of the diamond from morning to evening on both Saturday and Sunday with nearly 40 teams vying for titles in four age categories.
We looked into golf tournaments and spaghetti dinners, said Kelley Worden, when asked how her family turned to the plastic ball version of baseball.
Jay and his brother, David, and their friends used to play in what was called Yardball, which was tournament played at Edgewater Park and was sponsored by Major League Baseball. We thought that would be something that Jayson would have liked, she added.
The JAYBall tournament is for teams of three or four players who play five inning games with modified rules clearly spelled out. One finds a ground ball is fielded by a defensive player inside the infield arc, the lead runner, if forced, is out. Another has defensive players able to get an out when a runner is trying to advance by hitting the runner anywhere below the head. Teams play with provided plastic bats and balls.
Those Midpark students who receive the scholarship money are not the typical students receiving aid to attend college through monies from the Jason R. Worden Character Foundation.
Jayson was one of those kids who would reach out to the last kid picked for a team or the new kid on the block, explained Kelley Worden. So when we decided to furnish scholarship money from the tournament, we decided that those who receive the funds be those kind of kids that Jayson reached out to.
We know that there are plenty of scholarships out there for athletes and the brightest students. We get help from the school counselors and look for the kids who apply for the scholarships that have shown great character or improved their academics the most from the time they started in high school, she added.
Five years later, the list of sponsors continues to grow. Companies or fraternal organizations are there to help supply time, services or funds to help the volunteer group stay focused on its mission to honor Jayson and give a helping hand to those who need a boost to attend college.
We didn't have enough fencing for the outfields and we were able to borrow some from the Brecksville Recreation Department and they brought it to us, said a thankful Worden, who acknowledged the outstanding support from the Brook Park Recreation Department.
While reverse raffles have their side bars, the JAYBall Tournament has a home run hitting contest for those who didn't finish on top in team play or were unable to participate or get a team together.
And for those who don't wish to swing a bat or tag a runner out by hitting him or her with the plastic ball from the shoulders or below, there were other ways to participate.
Many of our sponsors were able to give us prizes that we could give away by either a silent auction or raffle off, said Kelley Worden.
We've come a long way from that first year when we had nine teams, said Worden. We just want it to continue to grow each year.
While the list of those who help out is long, the elder David Worden said four families are very strong in their support.
When you are asked to mention those to thank you're afraid of leaving someone, he said. But I would like to mention a few families. The Gillissie, Tamas, DiRienzo and Mazza families have been a great help.
Those wishing to help or those looking forward to play in the 2006 tournament can contact the Wordens by e-mail at JAYBAll@sbcglobal.net.
© 2005 Sun Newspapers
© 2005 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.&nbs
The News Sun
By day, Kelley Worden is the parish nurse at Lakewood Presbyterian Church on Detroit Avenue and her husband, David is an information technician at Fairview Hospital.
But one weekend a year in early August, the Wordens along with their 21-year-old son David, see their share of Wiffle Balls flying over temporary fences.
The fifth annual JAYBall Wiffle Ball Tournament took place at Brook Park Recreation with the winners being those from Midpark High School who will receive scholarship money from proceeds collected from the tournament, which honors Jayson Worden, who died in a 2000 car accident.
With five fields covering the outfield area of a regulation baseball field, the 2005 JAYBall tournament was played on the soft grassy area of the diamond from morning to evening on both Saturday and Sunday with nearly 40 teams vying for titles in four age categories.
We looked into golf tournaments and spaghetti dinners, said Kelley Worden, when asked how her family turned to the plastic ball version of baseball.
Jay and his brother, David, and their friends used to play in what was called Yardball, which was tournament played at Edgewater Park and was sponsored by Major League Baseball. We thought that would be something that Jayson would have liked, she added.
The JAYBall tournament is for teams of three or four players who play five inning games with modified rules clearly spelled out. One finds a ground ball is fielded by a defensive player inside the infield arc, the lead runner, if forced, is out. Another has defensive players able to get an out when a runner is trying to advance by hitting the runner anywhere below the head. Teams play with provided plastic bats and balls.
Those Midpark students who receive the scholarship money are not the typical students receiving aid to attend college through monies from the Jason R. Worden Character Foundation.
Jayson was one of those kids who would reach out to the last kid picked for a team or the new kid on the block, explained Kelley Worden. So when we decided to furnish scholarship money from the tournament, we decided that those who receive the funds be those kind of kids that Jayson reached out to.
We know that there are plenty of scholarships out there for athletes and the brightest students. We get help from the school counselors and look for the kids who apply for the scholarships that have shown great character or improved their academics the most from the time they started in high school, she added.
Five years later, the list of sponsors continues to grow. Companies or fraternal organizations are there to help supply time, services or funds to help the volunteer group stay focused on its mission to honor Jayson and give a helping hand to those who need a boost to attend college.
We didn't have enough fencing for the outfields and we were able to borrow some from the Brecksville Recreation Department and they brought it to us, said a thankful Worden, who acknowledged the outstanding support from the Brook Park Recreation Department.
While reverse raffles have their side bars, the JAYBall Tournament has a home run hitting contest for those who didn't finish on top in team play or were unable to participate or get a team together.
And for those who don't wish to swing a bat or tag a runner out by hitting him or her with the plastic ball from the shoulders or below, there were other ways to participate.
Many of our sponsors were able to give us prizes that we could give away by either a silent auction or raffle off, said Kelley Worden.
We've come a long way from that first year when we had nine teams, said Worden. We just want it to continue to grow each year.
While the list of those who help out is long, the elder David Worden said four families are very strong in their support.
When you are asked to mention those to thank you're afraid of leaving someone, he said. But I would like to mention a few families. The Gillissie, Tamas, DiRienzo and Mazza families have been a great help.
Those wishing to help or those looking forward to play in the 2006 tournament can contact the Wordens by e-mail at JAYBAll@sbcglobal.net.
© 2005 Sun Newspapers
© 2005 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.&nbs
Wiffleball tourney set for Sandown
By Mike Smith
sports@seacoastonline.com
Complete Sports Index
It may not be as large as Woodstock, but SandownÕs Mitch Mencis is hoping that "Wiffle Stock" will one day carry the same legendary aura as the 1969 music festival that was held in upstate New York.
Actually, that may be stretching it a bit, but Mencis is attempting to establish the "Wiffle Stock" Wiffleball tournament at his home field in Sandown, with the first tournament scheduled for Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 at Mencis Field, located at 56 North Road in Sandown.
Mencis, who recently attended a 165-team tournament in Hopkinton, Mass., is hopeful tournaments in the coming years can see the same type of response in southern New Hampshire as people flock to play the game many youngsters grew up with in their back yards on and the street.
"ItÕs a growing thing," said Mencis, a Timberlane Regional High School graduate who played soccer for the Owls and continues to play for the Kingston Braves. "But itÕs not that big in New Hampshire and there was nothing around here. We only started planning this about six weeks ago. WeÕre hoping for 50 teams and weÕre going to make it an annual event."
The entry fee is $100 per team and the team winning the tournament will take home a $1,000 prize. Teams can be from one to five players and hits are determined by lines on a field measuring approximately 60 feet between the foul poles and home run distance is 75 to 80 feet. There are no base runners so the tournament is open to all ages and mixed gender teams are common.
"A friend of mine was going to play in a tournament and I thought he was kidding," said Mencis. "Then I saw how many teams there were and players were of all ages. ThereÕs no running. ThatÕs why my dad likes it. IÕm trying to get him to play, but I think heÕs more interested in running the concession stand.
"You donÕt have to have an organized team," added Mencis. "Call a couple of buddies and come down and play."
The tournament is set to begin Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. Those interested in entering a team should contact Mencis at mencism@comcast.net or register prior to 9 a.m. on the day of the tournament.
The tournament is open to players of all ages and doesnÕt require any equipment, as it will be provided. There is also no running as base hits are determined by lines on the field of play or by how the defense handles batted balls. A radar gun will be used to make sure pitches are thrown within the 35 mph limit.&nbs
sports@seacoastonline.com
Complete Sports Index
It may not be as large as Woodstock, but SandownÕs Mitch Mencis is hoping that "Wiffle Stock" will one day carry the same legendary aura as the 1969 music festival that was held in upstate New York.
Actually, that may be stretching it a bit, but Mencis is attempting to establish the "Wiffle Stock" Wiffleball tournament at his home field in Sandown, with the first tournament scheduled for Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 at Mencis Field, located at 56 North Road in Sandown.
Mencis, who recently attended a 165-team tournament in Hopkinton, Mass., is hopeful tournaments in the coming years can see the same type of response in southern New Hampshire as people flock to play the game many youngsters grew up with in their back yards on and the street.
"ItÕs a growing thing," said Mencis, a Timberlane Regional High School graduate who played soccer for the Owls and continues to play for the Kingston Braves. "But itÕs not that big in New Hampshire and there was nothing around here. We only started planning this about six weeks ago. WeÕre hoping for 50 teams and weÕre going to make it an annual event."
The entry fee is $100 per team and the team winning the tournament will take home a $1,000 prize. Teams can be from one to five players and hits are determined by lines on a field measuring approximately 60 feet between the foul poles and home run distance is 75 to 80 feet. There are no base runners so the tournament is open to all ages and mixed gender teams are common.
"A friend of mine was going to play in a tournament and I thought he was kidding," said Mencis. "Then I saw how many teams there were and players were of all ages. ThereÕs no running. ThatÕs why my dad likes it. IÕm trying to get him to play, but I think heÕs more interested in running the concession stand.
"You donÕt have to have an organized team," added Mencis. "Call a couple of buddies and come down and play."
The tournament is set to begin Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. Those interested in entering a team should contact Mencis at mencism@comcast.net or register prior to 9 a.m. on the day of the tournament.
The tournament is open to players of all ages and doesnÕt require any equipment, as it will be provided. There is also no running as base hits are determined by lines on the field of play or by how the defense handles batted balls. A radar gun will be used to make sure pitches are thrown within the 35 mph limit.&nbs
A Whiff of Sportswriting
This story didn't make the online edition for some reason. And got severely lobotomized in the printing/editing process. So here it is in its entirety.
By RICK HARRISON
STAFF WRITER
SOUTH PLAINFIELD: Steve Cavico of the Kane Park professional whiffle-ball team in South Plainfield heard more than he saw. Standing stolid, 48 feet from the mound and gripping the wooden handle of his wide plastic blue-barreled bat, he last saw the hollow, hole-filled ball leave the pitcher's hand near his ankles, whipping the grass with a sputtering whistle until it quickly rose and smacked the sheet- metal striike zone, almost at his neck. Cavico could only freeze in admiration.
"Oohh, nice pitch," he said. "Whoa!''
If you haven't heard of Kane Park, it is likely you have never been in Kevin Kane's backyard, which bears that stadium-like nickname and which is where the team had its humble beginnings. And you likely haven't heard of the FastPlastic professional whiffle ball league, which had its last regional qualifying tournament of the season yesterday at Veterans Park in South Plainfield. Kane and Cavico's teammate Kris Nagy is the Northeast regional director.
"What you can do with a whiffle ball simulates high competition baseball, and the guys are great,'' said Nagy, 25, who is from South Plainfield but currently lives in The Bronx, N.Y., and works for an environmental engineering firm in Manhattan. "It's all see-the-ball, hit-the-ball with this game. Half the battle is seeing the ball.''
And this sport, moving from backyards to the big time across the country, is something to see.
Yesterday morning, Kane Park, whose four-member team wear matching blue-and-orange jerseys, battled mightily in a 2-0 loss against the pitcher from The Old School Risers, a Maryland team that traveled the farthest for this 16-team all-day tournament. In addition to that wicked rising fastball, the Maryland pitcher throws an evil split-fingered something that looks like a beautiful meatball before dropping clear out of sight.
"If you've never seen a pitcher before, he's very tough to hit and see what he's doing," said Cavico, 34, a technology salesman from Brick. "But we've hit guys like this before. Sometimes it's early in the morning, and you're barely awake."
Rather than wake before dawn, Nagy and Kane, 27, who teaches history and law at Woodbridge High School, set up the eight fields Friday, taking five hours to erect the carefully measured orange construction netting and PVC pipe that mark the backstops and outfield fences. Kane said that the materials cost about $1,500, which includes insurance to use the park, and comes out of each team's $100 entrance fee.
The top prize for this tournament was $400, with second place worth $200. But the real prize is in accumulating enough points over the season to qualify for the playoffs, and a chance to win travel expenses and the honor of representing the region at the national tournament in Austin, Texas, this Columbus Day Weekend.
Last year, The Swingers from Middletown blew through the field of 40 teams from 14 regions across the country, riding a 9-0 record to the national championship and a $3,500 cash prize. With the sport's growing popularity, this year's prize is expected to be $5,000.
FastPlastic plays six innings of whiffle ball, in which teams of two to five players compete in a game with imaginary runners. Three strikes are an out, and four balls are a walk. A pitcher and two fielders can field ground balls for outs if they catch them on a fly or handle them cleanly in front of a line painted on the ground and then make a smooth throw to the backstop. Balls that stop rolling before a fielder or that pass them are singles. Balls that roll to the outfield fences are doubles; those that hit them on a fly are triples. And over the fence is a home run.
Hits advance imaginary runners much as real runners would in a baseball game. A single scores a man on second. Doubles clear the bases. There are other peculiar rules, but mostly they adhere to those of Major League Baseball.
The average age of players hovers in the mid-20s, though Kane said that they had a 45-year-old play in a previous tournament. And although one-time San Francisco Giants pitcher Chuck Hensley played in Texas last year, these are not world-class athletes.
The Niffs, a team from New Hyde Park in Long Island, N.Y., swig from Budweiser cans at 9 a.m. and smoke cigarettes between at-bats. Does this cause them any trouble with, say, eye-hand coordination? "Right now, no,'' said Nick Tullo, who said he was "20...um, 21."
But, as The Wiffled Wonders from South Plainfield are learning, it takes some considerable skill. Playing against the Hit Men from Vineland, Wonders pitcher Jimmy Quartuccio was feeling his age: 15.
"I thought I'm gonna play people my own age," Jimmy said of his first pro game in April. "And I come here and people are driving their cars and bringing their kids. I'm the youngest guy around here."
Jimmy, who plays baseball for Colonia High School, was on the mound against the Hit Men in his green-sleeved baseball shirt and green kneesocks. As sweat fell from his brown moptop and scraggly facial hair, he slid into his wind-up again and again, throwing hard, but throwing many more balls than strikes.
After the game, Elvin Cortez, 33, of the Hit Men told Jimmy: "You've got to take your lumps. Throw strikes. If you overthrow all the time, you're gonna get hurt."
Which is just what happened to Jerry Riso, 31, of the defending champion Swingers. "I threw too much last year, and it was doctor time," he said. "I never thought I'd have to go to the doctor for whiffle ball."
But the ball itself requires doctoring to achieve that insane movement. "You've got to scuff up the ball the right way," Kane said. "You can't take it out of the box and throw.''
Dan Erhardt, 17, of the Wiffled Wonders said he buys a dozen balls at a time. "I have a two-hour ritual," he said. "I sit in my driveway and rub them against the pavement in the blazing sun and number them. One time we used a cheese grater."
As the sun receded and the Mud Ducks beat the Swingers 3-0 to win the tournament at 7:30 p.m., almost everyone agreed their sport was ready for primetime.
"This should be on ESPN," Dan "Neif" Ennis of the Niffs said between drags on his cigarette. "They have hot-dog eating contests, Scrabble and Foosball tournaments. Why not whiffle ball?"
The answer was easy to see.&nbs
By RICK HARRISON
STAFF WRITER
SOUTH PLAINFIELD: Steve Cavico of the Kane Park professional whiffle-ball team in South Plainfield heard more than he saw. Standing stolid, 48 feet from the mound and gripping the wooden handle of his wide plastic blue-barreled bat, he last saw the hollow, hole-filled ball leave the pitcher's hand near his ankles, whipping the grass with a sputtering whistle until it quickly rose and smacked the sheet- metal striike zone, almost at his neck. Cavico could only freeze in admiration.
"Oohh, nice pitch," he said. "Whoa!''
If you haven't heard of Kane Park, it is likely you have never been in Kevin Kane's backyard, which bears that stadium-like nickname and which is where the team had its humble beginnings. And you likely haven't heard of the FastPlastic professional whiffle ball league, which had its last regional qualifying tournament of the season yesterday at Veterans Park in South Plainfield. Kane and Cavico's teammate Kris Nagy is the Northeast regional director.
"What you can do with a whiffle ball simulates high competition baseball, and the guys are great,'' said Nagy, 25, who is from South Plainfield but currently lives in The Bronx, N.Y., and works for an environmental engineering firm in Manhattan. "It's all see-the-ball, hit-the-ball with this game. Half the battle is seeing the ball.''
And this sport, moving from backyards to the big time across the country, is something to see.
Yesterday morning, Kane Park, whose four-member team wear matching blue-and-orange jerseys, battled mightily in a 2-0 loss against the pitcher from The Old School Risers, a Maryland team that traveled the farthest for this 16-team all-day tournament. In addition to that wicked rising fastball, the Maryland pitcher throws an evil split-fingered something that looks like a beautiful meatball before dropping clear out of sight.
"If you've never seen a pitcher before, he's very tough to hit and see what he's doing," said Cavico, 34, a technology salesman from Brick. "But we've hit guys like this before. Sometimes it's early in the morning, and you're barely awake."
Rather than wake before dawn, Nagy and Kane, 27, who teaches history and law at Woodbridge High School, set up the eight fields Friday, taking five hours to erect the carefully measured orange construction netting and PVC pipe that mark the backstops and outfield fences. Kane said that the materials cost about $1,500, which includes insurance to use the park, and comes out of each team's $100 entrance fee.
The top prize for this tournament was $400, with second place worth $200. But the real prize is in accumulating enough points over the season to qualify for the playoffs, and a chance to win travel expenses and the honor of representing the region at the national tournament in Austin, Texas, this Columbus Day Weekend.
Last year, The Swingers from Middletown blew through the field of 40 teams from 14 regions across the country, riding a 9-0 record to the national championship and a $3,500 cash prize. With the sport's growing popularity, this year's prize is expected to be $5,000.
FastPlastic plays six innings of whiffle ball, in which teams of two to five players compete in a game with imaginary runners. Three strikes are an out, and four balls are a walk. A pitcher and two fielders can field ground balls for outs if they catch them on a fly or handle them cleanly in front of a line painted on the ground and then make a smooth throw to the backstop. Balls that stop rolling before a fielder or that pass them are singles. Balls that roll to the outfield fences are doubles; those that hit them on a fly are triples. And over the fence is a home run.
Hits advance imaginary runners much as real runners would in a baseball game. A single scores a man on second. Doubles clear the bases. There are other peculiar rules, but mostly they adhere to those of Major League Baseball.
The average age of players hovers in the mid-20s, though Kane said that they had a 45-year-old play in a previous tournament. And although one-time San Francisco Giants pitcher Chuck Hensley played in Texas last year, these are not world-class athletes.
The Niffs, a team from New Hyde Park in Long Island, N.Y., swig from Budweiser cans at 9 a.m. and smoke cigarettes between at-bats. Does this cause them any trouble with, say, eye-hand coordination? "Right now, no,'' said Nick Tullo, who said he was "20...um, 21."
But, as The Wiffled Wonders from South Plainfield are learning, it takes some considerable skill. Playing against the Hit Men from Vineland, Wonders pitcher Jimmy Quartuccio was feeling his age: 15.
"I thought I'm gonna play people my own age," Jimmy said of his first pro game in April. "And I come here and people are driving their cars and bringing their kids. I'm the youngest guy around here."
Jimmy, who plays baseball for Colonia High School, was on the mound against the Hit Men in his green-sleeved baseball shirt and green kneesocks. As sweat fell from his brown moptop and scraggly facial hair, he slid into his wind-up again and again, throwing hard, but throwing many more balls than strikes.
After the game, Elvin Cortez, 33, of the Hit Men told Jimmy: "You've got to take your lumps. Throw strikes. If you overthrow all the time, you're gonna get hurt."
Which is just what happened to Jerry Riso, 31, of the defending champion Swingers. "I threw too much last year, and it was doctor time," he said. "I never thought I'd have to go to the doctor for whiffle ball."
But the ball itself requires doctoring to achieve that insane movement. "You've got to scuff up the ball the right way," Kane said. "You can't take it out of the box and throw.''
Dan Erhardt, 17, of the Wiffled Wonders said he buys a dozen balls at a time. "I have a two-hour ritual," he said. "I sit in my driveway and rub them against the pavement in the blazing sun and number them. One time we used a cheese grater."
As the sun receded and the Mud Ducks beat the Swingers 3-0 to win the tournament at 7:30 p.m., almost everyone agreed their sport was ready for primetime.
"This should be on ESPN," Dan "Neif" Ennis of the Niffs said between drags on his cigarette. "They have hot-dog eating contests, Scrabble and Foosball tournaments. Why not whiffle ball?"
The answer was easy to see.&nbs
Monday, August 08, 2005
Vote may outlaw outdoor, alcohol games
Keep the beer pong and games of quarters inside.
In the ongoing tussle between summer renters and year-round residents of this seaside community, the Borough Council has banned outdoor games involving alcohol.
The "Beer Pong" ordinance, which goes into effect Aug. 17, prohibits alcohol-related games or contests on porches, decks, lawns, front and side yards or anywhere that can be viewed by the public and neighbors. Fines begin at $100 for a first offense.
Adopted last week, the regulation takes its name from a drinking game in which players bounce pingpong balls into cups of beer, with successful bounces triggering rounds of drinking.
Borough Clerk Margaret Plummer said residents near some rental areas have complained about people playing such games on their front lawns and getting progressively drunk and noisy.
Belmar, in Monmouth County, has an off-season population of 6,000 that Plummer said can surge to 70,000 on a hot summer weekend.
Some summer renters, such as Michael Todd, say the borough is trying to drive out young people who provide an economic boost to the area. Todd, 27, filed a complaint against a police officer who issued him a summons for playing Wiffle ball, the Asbury Park Press reported in Wednesday's newspapers.
"I didn't know Belmar all of [a] sudden turned into a big dictatorship borough," Todd said.
The borough also plans to establish taxi stands around bars. A public hearing on that proposal is scheduled for Aug. 10.&nbs
In the ongoing tussle between summer renters and year-round residents of this seaside community, the Borough Council has banned outdoor games involving alcohol.
The "Beer Pong" ordinance, which goes into effect Aug. 17, prohibits alcohol-related games or contests on porches, decks, lawns, front and side yards or anywhere that can be viewed by the public and neighbors. Fines begin at $100 for a first offense.
Adopted last week, the regulation takes its name from a drinking game in which players bounce pingpong balls into cups of beer, with successful bounces triggering rounds of drinking.
Borough Clerk Margaret Plummer said residents near some rental areas have complained about people playing such games on their front lawns and getting progressively drunk and noisy.
Belmar, in Monmouth County, has an off-season population of 6,000 that Plummer said can surge to 70,000 on a hot summer weekend.
Some summer renters, such as Michael Todd, say the borough is trying to drive out young people who provide an economic boost to the area. Todd, 27, filed a complaint against a police officer who issued him a summons for playing Wiffle ball, the Asbury Park Press reported in Wednesday's newspapers.
"I didn't know Belmar all of [a] sudden turned into a big dictatorship borough," Todd said.
The borough also plans to establish taxi stands around bars. A public hearing on that proposal is scheduled for Aug. 10.&nbs
Reliving Wiffle Ball memories
By Sara Hooker
Some are businessmen, others are students. Some have families and others traveled hundreds of miles to be here.
One thing they have in common: Most of them aren't kids anymore.
They didn't need to be on Saturday to play in the third annual Carol Stream Classic, an eight-team Wiffle Ball tournament at Armstrong Park.
"We prosecute by day and throw a Wiffle Ball at you by weekend," said Don Leist, 42, of three members of the Monkey Nerves, who are prosecutors for the DuPage County state's attorney's office.
The team's other members drove 15 hours from Louisiana to relive the countless days they spent playing as youngsters.
"When they'd visit, they'd spend the day playing Wiffle Ball," said Bonnie Leist, mother and aunt to several members of the Monkey Nerves. "I'm telling the truth - it was actually the whole day playing Wiffle Ball."
To relive those glory days, they picked a name, traveled cross country and practiced for a couple days.
"We've been training for it all our lives," Leist said. "We're too old to play, but it reminds us of being kids."
Organized Wiffle Ball is like the backyard game, but different. There are five players to a team. All of them bat, and three of them take the field.
The field is about one-third the size of a Little League field.
The bats aren't the skinny yellow plastic ones many remember. These have wooden handles and plastic barrels.
And nobody runs the bases. Pretend runners advance depending on the hits. An infield grounder is a single. A grounder to the fence is a double. Hitting the fence in the air is a triple. Hitting it over the fence is a home run.
To get an out, the batter must strike out, fly out or players must field grounders and throw them against the backstop.
As a kid, losing was the worst part for Leist's cousin, Danny McMillan, of West Monroe, La. Now it's the day after exerting himself on the field, he said.
The Monkey Nerves eventually finished fifth.
A Roselle-based team, The Bandits, won the title.&nbs
Some are businessmen, others are students. Some have families and others traveled hundreds of miles to be here.
One thing they have in common: Most of them aren't kids anymore.
They didn't need to be on Saturday to play in the third annual Carol Stream Classic, an eight-team Wiffle Ball tournament at Armstrong Park.
"We prosecute by day and throw a Wiffle Ball at you by weekend," said Don Leist, 42, of three members of the Monkey Nerves, who are prosecutors for the DuPage County state's attorney's office.
The team's other members drove 15 hours from Louisiana to relive the countless days they spent playing as youngsters.
"When they'd visit, they'd spend the day playing Wiffle Ball," said Bonnie Leist, mother and aunt to several members of the Monkey Nerves. "I'm telling the truth - it was actually the whole day playing Wiffle Ball."
To relive those glory days, they picked a name, traveled cross country and practiced for a couple days.
"We've been training for it all our lives," Leist said. "We're too old to play, but it reminds us of being kids."
Organized Wiffle Ball is like the backyard game, but different. There are five players to a team. All of them bat, and three of them take the field.
The field is about one-third the size of a Little League field.
The bats aren't the skinny yellow plastic ones many remember. These have wooden handles and plastic barrels.
And nobody runs the bases. Pretend runners advance depending on the hits. An infield grounder is a single. A grounder to the fence is a double. Hitting the fence in the air is a triple. Hitting it over the fence is a home run.
To get an out, the batter must strike out, fly out or players must field grounders and throw them against the backstop.
As a kid, losing was the worst part for Leist's cousin, Danny McMillan, of West Monroe, La. Now it's the day after exerting himself on the field, he said.
The Monkey Nerves eventually finished fifth.
A Roselle-based team, The Bandits, won the title.&nbs
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Crash inspires area ballplayers
ROBERT CYR , Register Citizen Staff
NEW HARTFORD -- A group of youngsters in New Hartford is turning its summer fun into a charitable venture after learning of the recent death of a fellow resident.
Every Tuesday and Saturday for the past three weeks, 15-year-old John Summas has organized and played in an eight-team Wiffle Ball tournament at his parentÕs house at 62 Arrowhead Drive.
The SummasÕ front yard was a veritable arena of sportsmanship, fun and camaraderie, as over 40 kids ages 12 to 17 from surrounding neighborhoods played in the tournament, chatted with friends, or watched the games. The idea behind the event at the beginning of the summer was to raise money for a childrenÕs charity, event organizer John Summas said.
Recent events, however, hit close to home for the New Hartford ball players, who immediately wanted to help the family of fellow resident John Stotler, who was killed in the Friday accident on Route 44 in Avon.
"After we heard about the Avon accident, and the man who died - Stotler -- we knew that was where we wanted our money to go," John Summas said.
"When each player gets here for the day, the idea is to put in your dollar," Marie Summas, John SummasÕ mother, said. "They try to be very consistent about it, and they have been."
Marie Summas gestured to a New York Yankees garbage can, filled about a third of the way with crumpled dollar bills. They expect to give about $250 to the Stotler family, Marie Summas said.
Working as a pre-school teacher at the Batcheller School, Winsted, gives her the opportunity to help her son this summer, Marie Summas said. She was glad that so many kids could join together to find a constructive outlet for their energies.
"ThereÕs not a lot of places for these kids to go, especially in the summer, when their parents are working all day," she said. "IÕm so glad I can be here, to put out some lemonade, and make sure they keep themselves out of trouble."
The Wiffle Ball players are no business slouches, Marie Summas said, and have persuaded her to contribute a dollar to the till every time someone hits one "out of the park," Marie Summas said.
"ThereÕs kids on teams from towns all around like Colebrook, Torrington, and Norfolk," Marie Summas said. "Their parents chip in, too, and IÕve just started fining kids a dollar for throwing the bat after they swing."
The set-up of the tournament features smaller teams, and fewer innings and rules, John Summas said. He said that although they are constantly stream-lining their play to make it more efficient, the basics are this: eight teams, three to a team; each team plays 18 times, or twice each day of play; three strikes is an out, but six balls let you walk.
"We basically set up the field like a small baseball park," John Summas said. "ItÕs the same dimensions as Fenway, scaled down."
Although the fun may be over in late August, when the remaining teams battle it out in a mini-World Series, the funds collected from the summerÕs fun will keep giving, John Summas said.
Robert Cyr can be reached by e-mail at litchfield@registercitizen.com.&nbs
NEW HARTFORD -- A group of youngsters in New Hartford is turning its summer fun into a charitable venture after learning of the recent death of a fellow resident.
Every Tuesday and Saturday for the past three weeks, 15-year-old John Summas has organized and played in an eight-team Wiffle Ball tournament at his parentÕs house at 62 Arrowhead Drive.
The SummasÕ front yard was a veritable arena of sportsmanship, fun and camaraderie, as over 40 kids ages 12 to 17 from surrounding neighborhoods played in the tournament, chatted with friends, or watched the games. The idea behind the event at the beginning of the summer was to raise money for a childrenÕs charity, event organizer John Summas said.
Recent events, however, hit close to home for the New Hartford ball players, who immediately wanted to help the family of fellow resident John Stotler, who was killed in the Friday accident on Route 44 in Avon.
"After we heard about the Avon accident, and the man who died - Stotler -- we knew that was where we wanted our money to go," John Summas said.
"When each player gets here for the day, the idea is to put in your dollar," Marie Summas, John SummasÕ mother, said. "They try to be very consistent about it, and they have been."
Marie Summas gestured to a New York Yankees garbage can, filled about a third of the way with crumpled dollar bills. They expect to give about $250 to the Stotler family, Marie Summas said.
Working as a pre-school teacher at the Batcheller School, Winsted, gives her the opportunity to help her son this summer, Marie Summas said. She was glad that so many kids could join together to find a constructive outlet for their energies.
"ThereÕs not a lot of places for these kids to go, especially in the summer, when their parents are working all day," she said. "IÕm so glad I can be here, to put out some lemonade, and make sure they keep themselves out of trouble."
The Wiffle Ball players are no business slouches, Marie Summas said, and have persuaded her to contribute a dollar to the till every time someone hits one "out of the park," Marie Summas said.
"ThereÕs kids on teams from towns all around like Colebrook, Torrington, and Norfolk," Marie Summas said. "Their parents chip in, too, and IÕve just started fining kids a dollar for throwing the bat after they swing."
The set-up of the tournament features smaller teams, and fewer innings and rules, John Summas said. He said that although they are constantly stream-lining their play to make it more efficient, the basics are this: eight teams, three to a team; each team plays 18 times, or twice each day of play; three strikes is an out, but six balls let you walk.
"We basically set up the field like a small baseball park," John Summas said. "ItÕs the same dimensions as Fenway, scaled down."
Although the fun may be over in late August, when the remaining teams battle it out in a mini-World Series, the funds collected from the summerÕs fun will keep giving, John Summas said.
Robert Cyr can be reached by e-mail at litchfield@registercitizen.com.&nbs
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
WIFFLE ball: More fun, less rules
By LYFORD M. MOORE
Peering in at home plate, the pitcher begins his windup and throws. The batter swings - and misses.
Strike one.
On the pitcher's second offering, the batter swings and, thump, sends the ball over the center-field fence.
Thump?
But of course.
As most anyone born after World War II knows, that's the sound a WIFFLE ball makes when smacked by one of those long, plastic WIFFLE ball bats. What many people don't know is how popular the sport has become - among people of all ages.
Today, more than a half-century after its invention, entire leagues have been established and nearly 150,000 references to WIFFLE ball can be found on the Internet using Google as a search engine.
Nationally, there are hundreds and hundreds of leagues and thousands of teams.
ADVERTISEMENT - CLICK TO ENLARGE OR VISIT WEBSITE
Advertise with us!
Among the many leagues with colorful names: Beat the Heat in Las Vegas, the Dirty South Alleycats in Troy, N.Y., and the Sons of Dad in Springfield, Mass.
So popular has WIFFLE ball become that dozens of teams now compete for prestige and prize money each year in a national tournament. This year's tourney, in Cedar Park, Texas, will feature $6,000 in prize money. The expected purse next year is $30,000.
Why all the interest?
"Everybody has a nostalgic relationship with WIFFLE ball - it's the game of their youth," said Bruce Chrystie, a writer for FastPlastic Magazine, a publication devoted exclusively to WIFFLE ball. A chance to relax
"It gives you a chance to relax and enjoy the summer more," said 21-year-old Brian Yeager of Marlton, who's been swatting those perforated plastic balls for the past five years with a group of about a dozen other former Cherokee High School classmates.
Three or four times a week, Yeager and his friends will gather at a field between some spiffy, two-story homes in Marlton and choose up sides. Unlike many WIFFLE ball fanatics, his group doesn't belong to a league, instead preferring the informality of individual play.
While the group doesn't belong to a league, it does have a Web site (fivefour.pssshh.com/wiffle_ball).
Sometimes the teams will consist of five players apiece, the maximum permitted under official WIFFLE ball rules. Other times it's three or four.
It's permissible for a "team" to consist of just one player.
To the best of anyone's knowledge, not one of the Marlton players is married. Or, as Yeager's teammate and friend, Patrick Blake, quips, "No balls or chains yet."
Whenever possible, the guys will play two games, and they'll do so on a field they constructed.
The field features lattice fencing, an 8-foot "Green Monster" fence 75 feet down the left-field foul line and a yellow board behind home plate that, when hit by a pitched ball, indicates a strike. Behind the left-field fence is a mass of trees, weeds and other vegetation that is filled with abandoned WIFFLE balls that, in happier days, went for home runs.
"There must be at least 40 of them back there," laughs Jay Stephens, 21, also of Marlton, after thumping a two-run homer and crossing home plate with his arms raised high. "And they probably squeak, too, because of all the rain."
"Yeah, and there's poison ivy back there, too," shouts left fielder Kevin Magnin as he watches his friend's antics. "Of course, nobody really knows what it looks like."
As he talks, one cell phone among many rings on a small wooden bench along the right-field line. After going unanswered, it stops ringing. Next to the bench are a couple of coolers filled with water and Gatorade - no beer.
The temperature hovers in the upper 90s. Keep playing
"We all look forward to playing while we're in school," said Stephens, who'll be entering his senior year at La Salle this fall. "We stay in touch online and talk about coming back home and playing over the summer. It gives us stuff to do and keeps us out of trouble."
Their parents certainly don't object, either.
At the outset of each "season," a father throws out the first pitch - after a tape machine delivers the last strains of the national anthem.
Though WIFFLE ball is similar to baseball in many respects, it's also different in many respects. There's no umpires or catchers and you don't get a base for being hit by a ball.
"We run the bases like they do in baseball because it's more of a workout and that's how we played baseball," said Mike Sandora, 21, of Marlton, who'll be a senior this fall at the University of Maryland. "We like running around, we like running down to first and sliding into third, stuff like that."
He's been playing WIFFLE ball for three years.
Stephens said he and his friends never tire of WIFFLE ball, noting that darkness is the only reason a game will be called before its conclusion. Each contest lasts nine innings, or as many innings after that to proclaim a winner.
Most games are close and take about an hour to complete, and it's very rare when one team trounces the other.
"It all depends on the pitching," Stephens said. "Sometimes the pitchers will really do a lot, other times, to be honest with you, we'll just hit the crap out of them."
Reach Lyford M. Moore at (856) 486-2424 or lmoore@courierpostonline.com WIFFLE BALL
# Who can play it: Anyone old enough to walk
# Invented: Early 1950s
# Chief advantage: Can be played in congested areas with no risk to property or people
# Recommended playing field: 20 feet wide, 60 feet long
# Minimum number of players per team: One
# Maximum number of players per team: 10
# Pitching speed: Some pitchers have been known to throw balls 80 mph
# More information: Call (203) 924-4643 or visit wiffleball.com, wiffleballusa.com or fivefour.pssshh.com/wiffle_ball THE HISTORY
# WIFFLE ball was invented in the early 1950s in Shelton, Conn., by David N. Mullany, after Mullany saw his 12-year-old son imitating baseball with a plastic perforated golf ball and a broom handle.
After his son complained of arm fatigue from trying to throw the ball, Mullany designed a softball-sized ball with eight oblong holes. Because it was easier to curve than a baseball and resulted in a lot of strikeouts, or "whiffs," children in the neighborhood began calling it a WIFFLE ball.
A year later, in 1953, the first WIFFLE balls were being sold.
- Lyford M. Moore&nbs
Peering in at home plate, the pitcher begins his windup and throws. The batter swings - and misses.
Strike one.
On the pitcher's second offering, the batter swings and, thump, sends the ball over the center-field fence.
Thump?
But of course.
As most anyone born after World War II knows, that's the sound a WIFFLE ball makes when smacked by one of those long, plastic WIFFLE ball bats. What many people don't know is how popular the sport has become - among people of all ages.
Today, more than a half-century after its invention, entire leagues have been established and nearly 150,000 references to WIFFLE ball can be found on the Internet using Google as a search engine.
Nationally, there are hundreds and hundreds of leagues and thousands of teams.
ADVERTISEMENT - CLICK TO ENLARGE OR VISIT WEBSITE
Advertise with us!
Among the many leagues with colorful names: Beat the Heat in Las Vegas, the Dirty South Alleycats in Troy, N.Y., and the Sons of Dad in Springfield, Mass.
So popular has WIFFLE ball become that dozens of teams now compete for prestige and prize money each year in a national tournament. This year's tourney, in Cedar Park, Texas, will feature $6,000 in prize money. The expected purse next year is $30,000.
Why all the interest?
"Everybody has a nostalgic relationship with WIFFLE ball - it's the game of their youth," said Bruce Chrystie, a writer for FastPlastic Magazine, a publication devoted exclusively to WIFFLE ball. A chance to relax
"It gives you a chance to relax and enjoy the summer more," said 21-year-old Brian Yeager of Marlton, who's been swatting those perforated plastic balls for the past five years with a group of about a dozen other former Cherokee High School classmates.
Three or four times a week, Yeager and his friends will gather at a field between some spiffy, two-story homes in Marlton and choose up sides. Unlike many WIFFLE ball fanatics, his group doesn't belong to a league, instead preferring the informality of individual play.
While the group doesn't belong to a league, it does have a Web site (fivefour.pssshh.com/wiffle_ball).
Sometimes the teams will consist of five players apiece, the maximum permitted under official WIFFLE ball rules. Other times it's three or four.
It's permissible for a "team" to consist of just one player.
To the best of anyone's knowledge, not one of the Marlton players is married. Or, as Yeager's teammate and friend, Patrick Blake, quips, "No balls or chains yet."
Whenever possible, the guys will play two games, and they'll do so on a field they constructed.
The field features lattice fencing, an 8-foot "Green Monster" fence 75 feet down the left-field foul line and a yellow board behind home plate that, when hit by a pitched ball, indicates a strike. Behind the left-field fence is a mass of trees, weeds and other vegetation that is filled with abandoned WIFFLE balls that, in happier days, went for home runs.
"There must be at least 40 of them back there," laughs Jay Stephens, 21, also of Marlton, after thumping a two-run homer and crossing home plate with his arms raised high. "And they probably squeak, too, because of all the rain."
"Yeah, and there's poison ivy back there, too," shouts left fielder Kevin Magnin as he watches his friend's antics. "Of course, nobody really knows what it looks like."
As he talks, one cell phone among many rings on a small wooden bench along the right-field line. After going unanswered, it stops ringing. Next to the bench are a couple of coolers filled with water and Gatorade - no beer.
The temperature hovers in the upper 90s. Keep playing
"We all look forward to playing while we're in school," said Stephens, who'll be entering his senior year at La Salle this fall. "We stay in touch online and talk about coming back home and playing over the summer. It gives us stuff to do and keeps us out of trouble."
Their parents certainly don't object, either.
At the outset of each "season," a father throws out the first pitch - after a tape machine delivers the last strains of the national anthem.
Though WIFFLE ball is similar to baseball in many respects, it's also different in many respects. There's no umpires or catchers and you don't get a base for being hit by a ball.
"We run the bases like they do in baseball because it's more of a workout and that's how we played baseball," said Mike Sandora, 21, of Marlton, who'll be a senior this fall at the University of Maryland. "We like running around, we like running down to first and sliding into third, stuff like that."
He's been playing WIFFLE ball for three years.
Stephens said he and his friends never tire of WIFFLE ball, noting that darkness is the only reason a game will be called before its conclusion. Each contest lasts nine innings, or as many innings after that to proclaim a winner.
Most games are close and take about an hour to complete, and it's very rare when one team trounces the other.
"It all depends on the pitching," Stephens said. "Sometimes the pitchers will really do a lot, other times, to be honest with you, we'll just hit the crap out of them."
Reach Lyford M. Moore at (856) 486-2424 or lmoore@courierpostonline.com WIFFLE BALL
# Who can play it: Anyone old enough to walk
# Invented: Early 1950s
# Chief advantage: Can be played in congested areas with no risk to property or people
# Recommended playing field: 20 feet wide, 60 feet long
# Minimum number of players per team: One
# Maximum number of players per team: 10
# Pitching speed: Some pitchers have been known to throw balls 80 mph
# More information: Call (203) 924-4643 or visit wiffleball.com, wiffleballusa.com or fivefour.pssshh.com/wiffle_ball THE HISTORY
# WIFFLE ball was invented in the early 1950s in Shelton, Conn., by David N. Mullany, after Mullany saw his 12-year-old son imitating baseball with a plastic perforated golf ball and a broom handle.
After his son complained of arm fatigue from trying to throw the ball, Mullany designed a softball-sized ball with eight oblong holes. Because it was easier to curve than a baseball and resulted in a lot of strikeouts, or "whiffs," children in the neighborhood began calling it a WIFFLE ball.
A year later, in 1953, the first WIFFLE balls were being sold.
- Lyford M. Moore&nbs
