Friday, May 06, 2005
(Media) Pics from the April 23rd New Jersey NCQ 1
YBN- Pics pics and more pics. These are from the NJ NCQ played on April 23rd in South Plainfield. Click the headline above to enter the gallery.&nbs ¶ 2:41 PM
YBN- Pics pics and more pics. These are from the NJ NCQ played on April 23rd in South Plainfield. Click the headline above to enter the gallery.&nbs ¶ 2:41 PM
(Media) Pics from the Northern New England NCQ #1
YBN- 82 image Picture gallery from the Northern New England NCQ #1 - click the header above to enter the gallery.&nbs ¶ 2:34 PM
YBN- 82 image Picture gallery from the Northern New England NCQ #1 - click the header above to enter the gallery.&nbs ¶ 2:34 PM
(Media) Pics from the NJ NCQ#1 April 23rd
YBN- Click header above to be zapped over to the page of pics. Courtesy of NewEnglandWiffleball.com.&nbs ¶ 2:24 PM
YBN- Click header above to be zapped over to the page of pics. Courtesy of NewEnglandWiffleball.com.&nbs ¶ 2:24 PM
(Media) Pics from AZ Wiffleball
A gallery of pics from AZ Wiffleball.com. Pretty sweet shots taken at a minor league complex where they played. Thanks to Jim Dalbey for the hookup. Click here for the photos
&nbs ¶ 2:07 PM
The Essentials
From http://attorneyssuck.blogspot.com&nbs ¶ 10:27 AM
I am new to car ownership. I spent some time thinking about what I should store in the back of my Jeep for emergencies.
I decided on a tool kit, tow straps, emergency blankets, ponchos, condoms, a first aid kit, flashlight, and a wiffle ball & bat.
If I get lucky, I'll need the condoms.
If I get really lucky, a hot girl will say to me, "Oh, IA- I want to take you home tonight. But first, can we play a few innings of wiffleball?"
The Good old days and A wish
This is from a blog found on Fri. May 6th: located at pmsimon.com
SWING AND A MISS
The Dodger game was yet to start when the conversation turned to youth, memories of ballgames past and the sudden declaration by Denholm that he missed Wiffle Ball. "We ought to get a league together," he said, before he remembered that everybody lives a long way apart and it wouldn't work. I brightly suggested that we COULD use the parking lot if it was early enough before the game, but it just seemed like too much work and too little available time. But I DID see a rack of Wiffle Bat-and-Ball combos- you remember them, the plastic bat with the red cardboard receptacle at the end with a ball in it- the other day at Albertson's, of all places, the Torrance Albertson's, right by the service meat-and-fish counter, and I very briefly entertained the idea of buying it until remembering I have nowhere to play it- the yard's mostly pool, no big grassy areas- and nobody to play it with. And, besides, even when I was younger and thinner and more athletic, I couldn't hit the curve ball.
The curve ball, of course, is what the Wiffle is all about. You can't NOT throw a curve with a Wiffle ball. Actually, it was less a curve ball than a pitch that fluttered briefly, then dropped straight down- you had to take a couple of gallops forward and swwwwwwING! into it and it would fly a few feet, wobble, and drop like a rock, whereupon a "fielder" would pick it up and try to wing it to first, only it would wobble and drop again, and, well, that's why the whole Wiffle thing is a bad idea- the same properties that make the ball do tricks when pitched plague the hitter when he hits the ball and fielders when they try to throw it.
But it was fun. Oh, lord, it was fun. Pointless, frustrating fun. And it struck me that there was one place I'd love to play Wiffle ball- right on the field at Dodger Stadium. Would that not be a trip and a half? Granted, you wouldn't need to use much of the field- a small square in front of home plate would do it- but standing at the plate with a (plastic) bat looking out at That Field and waiting for the pitch- here it comes- two gallops and swwwwwwING! and it's a screaming line dr... no, it's a dying quail, and then the comedy begins, but that would be SO cool.
It'll never happen, but I can dream. And in the meantime, I can always play this.&nbs ¶ 2:18 AM
SWING AND A MISS
The Dodger game was yet to start when the conversation turned to youth, memories of ballgames past and the sudden declaration by Denholm that he missed Wiffle Ball. "We ought to get a league together," he said, before he remembered that everybody lives a long way apart and it wouldn't work. I brightly suggested that we COULD use the parking lot if it was early enough before the game, but it just seemed like too much work and too little available time. But I DID see a rack of Wiffle Bat-and-Ball combos- you remember them, the plastic bat with the red cardboard receptacle at the end with a ball in it- the other day at Albertson's, of all places, the Torrance Albertson's, right by the service meat-and-fish counter, and I very briefly entertained the idea of buying it until remembering I have nowhere to play it- the yard's mostly pool, no big grassy areas- and nobody to play it with. And, besides, even when I was younger and thinner and more athletic, I couldn't hit the curve ball.
The curve ball, of course, is what the Wiffle is all about. You can't NOT throw a curve with a Wiffle ball. Actually, it was less a curve ball than a pitch that fluttered briefly, then dropped straight down- you had to take a couple of gallops forward and swwwwwwING! into it and it would fly a few feet, wobble, and drop like a rock, whereupon a "fielder" would pick it up and try to wing it to first, only it would wobble and drop again, and, well, that's why the whole Wiffle thing is a bad idea- the same properties that make the ball do tricks when pitched plague the hitter when he hits the ball and fielders when they try to throw it.
But it was fun. Oh, lord, it was fun. Pointless, frustrating fun. And it struck me that there was one place I'd love to play Wiffle ball- right on the field at Dodger Stadium. Would that not be a trip and a half? Granted, you wouldn't need to use much of the field- a small square in front of home plate would do it- but standing at the plate with a (plastic) bat looking out at That Field and waiting for the pitch- here it comes- two gallops and swwwwwwING! and it's a screaming line dr... no, it's a dying quail, and then the comedy begins, but that would be SO cool.
It'll never happen, but I can dream. And in the meantime, I can always play this.&nbs ¶ 2:18 AM
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Study Finds Kids Can't Hit Slow Pitches
You're throwing a ball for a toddler to smack with a plastic bat. You toss it gently, slowly, to make it easier. He just can't hit it. It's because you throw too slowly, a new study finds.Kids' brains aren't wired for slow motion. "When you throw something slowly to a child, you think you're doing them a favor by trying to be helpful," said Terri Lewis, professor of psychology at McMaster University. "Slow balls actually appear stationary to a child." Add a little speed to the pitch, Lewis and her colleagues suggest, and the child is able to judge its speed more accurately. "Our brain has very few neurons that deal specifically with slow motion and many neurons that deal with faster motion," Lewis said. "Even adults are worse at slow speeds than they are at faster speeds. "Kids' neurons are immature, making the task even more challenging for them.&nbs
¶ 11:51 PM
Sports public relations executes successful Wiffle ball tourney
By John Delaat
Dr. Keith Strudler's sports public relations class held their Whiffleball Tournament on Sunday, with Team Picardo finishes as the overall champion.
The Campus Green was set with four fields as the six teams began this double-elimination tournament. The teams battled the elements, as the wind was clearly making it difficult to accurately pitch, two teams propelled themselves as the elite teams.
Team Marola and Team Picardo swept their way into the winner's bracket semifinals.
In the semi-final, Team Picardo threw its second consecutive perfect game to make their way into the final.
Team Marola battled Team Filardo who battled back from an opening round loss to make it to the loser's bracket finals, only to lose a heartbreaker to Team Marola who were looking for revenge in the finals.
The finals defined the whole tournament, as timely hitting and great pitching propelled Team Picardo to the championship.
As champions, Team Picardo was awarded prizes from numerous sponsors, including a gift certificate from Doughboys, a whiffleball and bat set from Modell's, and Championship T-Shirts from Let's Get Personal.
The members of Strudler's class would like to thank all their sponsors, K & D Deli, Doughboy's, Modell's, Let's Get Personal, and Quizno's for their support. Also, thanks to all the participants for a great day of whiffleball.&nbs ¶ 11:48 PM
Dr. Keith Strudler's sports public relations class held their Whiffleball Tournament on Sunday, with Team Picardo finishes as the overall champion.
The Campus Green was set with four fields as the six teams began this double-elimination tournament. The teams battled the elements, as the wind was clearly making it difficult to accurately pitch, two teams propelled themselves as the elite teams.
Team Marola and Team Picardo swept their way into the winner's bracket semifinals.
In the semi-final, Team Picardo threw its second consecutive perfect game to make their way into the final.
Team Marola battled Team Filardo who battled back from an opening round loss to make it to the loser's bracket finals, only to lose a heartbreaker to Team Marola who were looking for revenge in the finals.
The finals defined the whole tournament, as timely hitting and great pitching propelled Team Picardo to the championship.
As champions, Team Picardo was awarded prizes from numerous sponsors, including a gift certificate from Doughboys, a whiffleball and bat set from Modell's, and Championship T-Shirts from Let's Get Personal.
The members of Strudler's class would like to thank all their sponsors, K & D Deli, Doughboy's, Modell's, Let's Get Personal, and Quizno's for their support. Also, thanks to all the participants for a great day of whiffleball.&nbs ¶ 11:48 PM
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
UMass wiffle ball team set to play Fenway
By Danny Picard
Collegian Correspondent
A group of UMass students earned the right to play wiffle ball at Fenway Park Monday by winning the Wiffle Your Way To Fenway tournament.
The 86 Celts, crowned UMass-Amherst Wiffle Ball Champions Saturday (April 16), will advance to the home of the Boston Red Sox in a tournament of champions from multiple colleges in New England.
The 86 Celts went 4-0, letting up only three runs and scoring 28. They moved through the first two rounds easily, winning by scores of 8-1 and 10-0. But The 86 Celts ran into trouble early in the semi-finals when senior Adam Bernazzani let up a rare leadoff home run. Senior Jimmy Brooks answered with a two-run homer of his own in the bottom of the first inning to give the Celts a 2-1 lead. Brooks home run proved to be the game winner and The 86 Celts advanced to the finals.
The players said the semi-final game was the turning point in the tournament.
It was the most intense wiffle ball game I've ever played, junior Lee Goodman said. The turning point was definitely the semi-finals.
The 86 Celts went on to win the final game by a score of 8-1 and will move on to play at Fenway Park on Monday.
The tournament fielded eight teams, consisting of five players on each team. The champs include five UMass students: Captain Alex Haney, Lee Goodman, Jimmy Brooks, Adam Bernazzani and Tom Holmes, all thrilled at the thought of playing at Fenway.
I'm excited, senior Jimmy Brooks said. I went to many Red Sox games as a kid, and now I get to play there. I'm on the big stage now. I feel like I've come a long way. I'm looking forward to putting a home run on Lansdowne.
While a wiffle ball hit over the Green Monster remains to be seen, other members of The '86 Celts said they'e delighted at the chance to play at Fenway Park.
Our childhood dream is coming true, junior Lee Goodman said. We all grew up playing wiffle ball in the streets of Boston. We're playing in Fenway. We finally made it.
Star pitcher Adam Bernazzani said his childhood aspirations came true when he recorded the final out that completed their journey to Yawkey Way. The Roslindale native said, It's a dream come true to be able to play at Fenway.
Bernazzani pitched four solid games in the eight-team tournament sponsored by Coca-Cola that decided who would represent UMass-Amherst at Fenway Park. The junior went 4-0 with one shutout, and let up only three runs the whole tournament.
I had everything working, Bernazzani said, referring to his two best pitches: the Turny Bernie and the Sweet Adam. TheTurny Bernie is a slider and theSweet Adam is a sweeping curve ball that Bernazzani uses as his finishing pitch.
Bernazzani had some solid defense behind him that helped contribute to his impressive numbers. A couple times when I was struggling, they helped me out with some good defense, he said. In the semi-finals, Jimmy Brooks made a game saving catch in the top of the fifth inning, robbing the opposing team of the tying home run, and clinching a victory.
South Boston native Jimmy Brooks described Bernazzani's pitching performance as outstanding and perfect. He should have been the MVP, Brooks said.
Although there was no official MVP, Junior Lee Goodman compared his pitcher's performance to that of a Boston Red Sox star.
His performance was Schilling-esque, the Jamaica Plain native said. He was like a young Curt Schilling.
While the pitching and defense had been superb,The'86 Celts were an offensive threat as well. They scored 28 runs in four games, helping the team go 4-0 and becoming UMass-Amherst Champions. Leading the way for this offense all tournament was senior Jimmy Brooks. Brooks was the cleanup hitter and led the team with four home runs.
I felt good out there, Brooks said. I was happy to contribute to the team. Chicks dig the long ball. Brooks, however, did not want to take all of the credit, as he said junior Lee Goodman was the leader of the team. I was swinging the bat well, Brooks said. But Lee was our emotional leader.
Emotional leader Goodman said, We were all slapping the ball around, but he said that Brooks is the best hitter on the team.
Brooksy is a power hitter, Goodman said. He hits the ball harder than most normal wiffle ball players.
With four home runs, Brooks established himself as one of the better power hitters in the tournament, but that doesn't mean he can take credit for giving the team its name.
Senior Adam Bernazzani came up with the name The 86 Celts, referring to the 1986 World Champion Boston Celtics. Jimmy Brooks said the rest of the team agreed to the name because the 1986 Boston Celtics were he greatest team in sports history. Who better to follow than them?, Brooks asked.
While looking up to their heroes in a different sport, The '86 Celts posted an impressive victory at Totman Field, and now they say they're set to win it all.
I'm in it to win it, Brooks said. With the way we're hitting, and the pitching we have, we're gonna win.
The UMass-Amherst Wiffle Ball Champions banner now hangs on the front of their house on Hobart Lane. On May 2 at Fenway Park, The '86 Celts say they'll bring another banner home.
It's either win or nothing, Goodman said. We are going to take the title back to UMass.
&nbs ¶ 10:38 PM
By Danny Picard
Collegian Correspondent
A group of UMass students earned the right to play wiffle ball at Fenway Park Monday by winning the Wiffle Your Way To Fenway tournament.
The 86 Celts, crowned UMass-Amherst Wiffle Ball Champions Saturday (April 16), will advance to the home of the Boston Red Sox in a tournament of champions from multiple colleges in New England.
The 86 Celts went 4-0, letting up only three runs and scoring 28. They moved through the first two rounds easily, winning by scores of 8-1 and 10-0. But The 86 Celts ran into trouble early in the semi-finals when senior Adam Bernazzani let up a rare leadoff home run. Senior Jimmy Brooks answered with a two-run homer of his own in the bottom of the first inning to give the Celts a 2-1 lead. Brooks home run proved to be the game winner and The 86 Celts advanced to the finals.
The players said the semi-final game was the turning point in the tournament.
It was the most intense wiffle ball game I've ever played, junior Lee Goodman said. The turning point was definitely the semi-finals.
The 86 Celts went on to win the final game by a score of 8-1 and will move on to play at Fenway Park on Monday.
The tournament fielded eight teams, consisting of five players on each team. The champs include five UMass students: Captain Alex Haney, Lee Goodman, Jimmy Brooks, Adam Bernazzani and Tom Holmes, all thrilled at the thought of playing at Fenway.
I'm excited, senior Jimmy Brooks said. I went to many Red Sox games as a kid, and now I get to play there. I'm on the big stage now. I feel like I've come a long way. I'm looking forward to putting a home run on Lansdowne.
While a wiffle ball hit over the Green Monster remains to be seen, other members of The '86 Celts said they'e delighted at the chance to play at Fenway Park.
Our childhood dream is coming true, junior Lee Goodman said. We all grew up playing wiffle ball in the streets of Boston. We're playing in Fenway. We finally made it.
Star pitcher Adam Bernazzani said his childhood aspirations came true when he recorded the final out that completed their journey to Yawkey Way. The Roslindale native said, It's a dream come true to be able to play at Fenway.
Bernazzani pitched four solid games in the eight-team tournament sponsored by Coca-Cola that decided who would represent UMass-Amherst at Fenway Park. The junior went 4-0 with one shutout, and let up only three runs the whole tournament.
I had everything working, Bernazzani said, referring to his two best pitches: the Turny Bernie and the Sweet Adam. TheTurny Bernie is a slider and theSweet Adam is a sweeping curve ball that Bernazzani uses as his finishing pitch.
Bernazzani had some solid defense behind him that helped contribute to his impressive numbers. A couple times when I was struggling, they helped me out with some good defense, he said. In the semi-finals, Jimmy Brooks made a game saving catch in the top of the fifth inning, robbing the opposing team of the tying home run, and clinching a victory.
South Boston native Jimmy Brooks described Bernazzani's pitching performance as outstanding and perfect. He should have been the MVP, Brooks said.
Although there was no official MVP, Junior Lee Goodman compared his pitcher's performance to that of a Boston Red Sox star.
His performance was Schilling-esque, the Jamaica Plain native said. He was like a young Curt Schilling.
While the pitching and defense had been superb,The'86 Celts were an offensive threat as well. They scored 28 runs in four games, helping the team go 4-0 and becoming UMass-Amherst Champions. Leading the way for this offense all tournament was senior Jimmy Brooks. Brooks was the cleanup hitter and led the team with four home runs.
I felt good out there, Brooks said. I was happy to contribute to the team. Chicks dig the long ball. Brooks, however, did not want to take all of the credit, as he said junior Lee Goodman was the leader of the team. I was swinging the bat well, Brooks said. But Lee was our emotional leader.
Emotional leader Goodman said, We were all slapping the ball around, but he said that Brooks is the best hitter on the team.
Brooksy is a power hitter, Goodman said. He hits the ball harder than most normal wiffle ball players.
With four home runs, Brooks established himself as one of the better power hitters in the tournament, but that doesn't mean he can take credit for giving the team its name.
Senior Adam Bernazzani came up with the name The 86 Celts, referring to the 1986 World Champion Boston Celtics. Jimmy Brooks said the rest of the team agreed to the name because the 1986 Boston Celtics were he greatest team in sports history. Who better to follow than them?, Brooks asked.
While looking up to their heroes in a different sport, The '86 Celts posted an impressive victory at Totman Field, and now they say they're set to win it all.
I'm in it to win it, Brooks said. With the way we're hitting, and the pitching we have, we're gonna win.
The UMass-Amherst Wiffle Ball Champions banner now hangs on the front of their house on Hobart Lane. On May 2 at Fenway Park, The '86 Celts say they'll bring another banner home.
It's either win or nothing, Goodman said. We are going to take the title back to UMass.
&nbs ¶ 10:38 PM
Wiffle ball pros shut out student players
By Mando Navarro
From the Orion Online
When Wiffle ball player Garrett Edwards learned he had been called out by a group of 30-year-olds and challenged to a match-up, he accepted.
"It's on," he said.
Little did he know that accepting the challenge was going to be the only easy part for his team, the Wiffleballers, which was featured in an article in The Orion in early April.
The Bamboos, the winners of the Hooker Oak Wiffle ball Tournament, have been playing together for a decade and provided serious competition for the Wiffleballers, who normally play a soft-pitched, home run derby type of game.
But the Bamboos play like a real baseball game, where you can get singles, doubles, triples and home runs, except there is no base running; instead, the field is marked with chalk to determine hits.
On Sunday, at a homemade field off of Lassen Street, the Wiffleballers didn't know what to expect. The Bamboos soon made it clear.
"Our ace (Keith Davis) can throw 100 mph," said Kevin Babz, co-captain of the Bamboos. "It's like facing Pedro (Martinez)."
Though Davis was sick Sunday, it didn't matter. The Wiffleballers didn't make contact once in the first game.
Pete Santero, who had "Satchel" written on the back of his red and white jersey, also plays for the Butte Sabres, a semi-professional baseball team. Santero asked his apartment manager--who they now call "Steinbrenner"--if he could build a field. The manager agreed on the condition that Santero mow the lawn frequently.
The field is called Bamboo Stadium and is next to Santero's apartment. It is 92 feet to the left field fence, 90 feet to right and 109 feet to center, according to the dimensions listed on the Bamboos' two pages of rules.
And now it looks like a miniature Fenway Park. Complete with a 10-foot "Green Monster" that was built by the team and placed in right field instead of left, like Fenway. There are even seats you can sit on behind the Monster.
The chalk is drawn neatly down the baselines. They made a pitching mound by killing the grass in the middle of the field and putting a piece of wood on it for the pitching rubber.
The many bats are inside of a deep wooden box. They are all official Wiffle bats, not the plastic yellow ones you can buy anywhere. Some of the bats have names, like the blue, plastic bat called "Loco."
Outside of the center field fence sits a plastic, toy-like basketball hoop, and if you hit a ball inside it, it is a five-run home run. An almond tree stands tall in the middle of center field, which can cause many outs if played off. But if the ball hits the almond tree more than once in an inning it's a home run.
To say these guys are fanatics would not do them justice. They live for baseball, and because playing baseball in a neighborhood is dangerous, they resort to Wiffle ball.
The first game was a massacre.
Nobody could hit Lenny "Dykstra" Fryslie or his famous pitch, the "Infi." He described it as a type of a screwball with late movement.
"He got the ball to do crazy stuff," said Ryan Drinks, who struck out without swinging. "It's hard to pick up. You think it's going to hit you in the face and it ends up being a strike."
The game ended in four innings, with the Bamboos winning 3--0. The score could have been worse if Santero didn't pitch against his own team to help out the Wiffleballers.
Because the Wiffleballers couldn't hit Fryslie, who sands each of the balls he pitches with, the teams were split up and put on separate teams.
The next two games played were decided in extra innings.
After six hours of playing, and Fryslie using about half a bottle of Icy Hot for his throwing shoulder, the games were over.
Sweat poured from Fryslie's body after each inning he pitched, and his arm was sore from pitching about 15 innings.
"I ice every time I'm done," he said. "You have to be careful."
The youngest player on the Bamboos is 29-year-old Dave "Big Daddy" Cain, who once hit a towering home run over the Green Monster that struck Santero's roof. He used Loco when he hit it. It is the longest home run in the 10 years they have been playing together.
Cain said the record would be broken some day, considering they play every weekend.
"As long as we can still play, we'll play," Cain said.
Cain plays because he likes to be outdoors with his best friends and get away from the stress of everyday life.
"It's all about relaxing, drinking some beer and playing a kid's game and making it a big deal," he said. "You gotta pep it up, that's what makes it interesting."
For these guys, sharing a love for something is important. It makes you more than friends.
"We're family," Santero said.
But like real families, there are fights.
"I've seen these guys about to throw blows," Cain said. "Some people feel they got robbed, but by the end of the day everyone is drinking beer."
A girlfriend of one of the Bamboo players said that she remembers when the batter charged the mound and almost fought the pitcher.
It was broken up before it got physical and the game continued.
Although the challenge turned out to be not so challenging for the Bamboos, the Wiffleballers had a good time and want to play again next weekend.
"We still got a lot of work to do," Drinks said. "We've been playing all wrong."&nbs ¶ 3:49 AM
By Mando Navarro
From the Orion Online
When Wiffle ball player Garrett Edwards learned he had been called out by a group of 30-year-olds and challenged to a match-up, he accepted.
"It's on," he said.
Little did he know that accepting the challenge was going to be the only easy part for his team, the Wiffleballers, which was featured in an article in The Orion in early April.
The Bamboos, the winners of the Hooker Oak Wiffle ball Tournament, have been playing together for a decade and provided serious competition for the Wiffleballers, who normally play a soft-pitched, home run derby type of game.
But the Bamboos play like a real baseball game, where you can get singles, doubles, triples and home runs, except there is no base running; instead, the field is marked with chalk to determine hits.
On Sunday, at a homemade field off of Lassen Street, the Wiffleballers didn't know what to expect. The Bamboos soon made it clear.
"Our ace (Keith Davis) can throw 100 mph," said Kevin Babz, co-captain of the Bamboos. "It's like facing Pedro (Martinez)."
Though Davis was sick Sunday, it didn't matter. The Wiffleballers didn't make contact once in the first game.
Pete Santero, who had "Satchel" written on the back of his red and white jersey, also plays for the Butte Sabres, a semi-professional baseball team. Santero asked his apartment manager--who they now call "Steinbrenner"--if he could build a field. The manager agreed on the condition that Santero mow the lawn frequently.
The field is called Bamboo Stadium and is next to Santero's apartment. It is 92 feet to the left field fence, 90 feet to right and 109 feet to center, according to the dimensions listed on the Bamboos' two pages of rules.
And now it looks like a miniature Fenway Park. Complete with a 10-foot "Green Monster" that was built by the team and placed in right field instead of left, like Fenway. There are even seats you can sit on behind the Monster.
The chalk is drawn neatly down the baselines. They made a pitching mound by killing the grass in the middle of the field and putting a piece of wood on it for the pitching rubber.
The many bats are inside of a deep wooden box. They are all official Wiffle bats, not the plastic yellow ones you can buy anywhere. Some of the bats have names, like the blue, plastic bat called "Loco."
Outside of the center field fence sits a plastic, toy-like basketball hoop, and if you hit a ball inside it, it is a five-run home run. An almond tree stands tall in the middle of center field, which can cause many outs if played off. But if the ball hits the almond tree more than once in an inning it's a home run.
To say these guys are fanatics would not do them justice. They live for baseball, and because playing baseball in a neighborhood is dangerous, they resort to Wiffle ball.
The first game was a massacre.
Nobody could hit Lenny "Dykstra" Fryslie or his famous pitch, the "Infi." He described it as a type of a screwball with late movement.
"He got the ball to do crazy stuff," said Ryan Drinks, who struck out without swinging. "It's hard to pick up. You think it's going to hit you in the face and it ends up being a strike."
The game ended in four innings, with the Bamboos winning 3--0. The score could have been worse if Santero didn't pitch against his own team to help out the Wiffleballers.
Because the Wiffleballers couldn't hit Fryslie, who sands each of the balls he pitches with, the teams were split up and put on separate teams.
The next two games played were decided in extra innings.
After six hours of playing, and Fryslie using about half a bottle of Icy Hot for his throwing shoulder, the games were over.
Sweat poured from Fryslie's body after each inning he pitched, and his arm was sore from pitching about 15 innings.
"I ice every time I'm done," he said. "You have to be careful."
The youngest player on the Bamboos is 29-year-old Dave "Big Daddy" Cain, who once hit a towering home run over the Green Monster that struck Santero's roof. He used Loco when he hit it. It is the longest home run in the 10 years they have been playing together.
Cain said the record would be broken some day, considering they play every weekend.
"As long as we can still play, we'll play," Cain said.
Cain plays because he likes to be outdoors with his best friends and get away from the stress of everyday life.
"It's all about relaxing, drinking some beer and playing a kid's game and making it a big deal," he said. "You gotta pep it up, that's what makes it interesting."
For these guys, sharing a love for something is important. It makes you more than friends.
"We're family," Santero said.
But like real families, there are fights.
"I've seen these guys about to throw blows," Cain said. "Some people feel they got robbed, but by the end of the day everyone is drinking beer."
A girlfriend of one of the Bamboo players said that she remembers when the batter charged the mound and almost fought the pitcher.
It was broken up before it got physical and the game continued.
Although the challenge turned out to be not so challenging for the Bamboos, the Wiffleballers had a good time and want to play again next weekend.
"We still got a lot of work to do," Drinks said. "We've been playing all wrong."&nbs ¶ 3:49 AM
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Steroids? Who needs em.
Q: The summer I was 12, I hit 127 home runs. Steroid-free. Of course, my backyard fence was 40 feet to dead center, I was using a Fat Albert bat to hit a Wiffle Ball and I was facing my 8-year-old brother. Isn't there a parallel here to Major League Baseball? - Mike O'Brien, Santa Monica, Calif.&nbs ¶ 10:46 PM
Northern Virginia Wiffle Ball World Series to Benefit Foundation
Fourty-eight teams and more than 200 wiffleball players have signed up for a wiffle ball event organized by Brian and Amy Bedell to benefit research efforts at Duke University's Brain Tumor Center. They hope to raise $30,000 to $40,000 at the Northern Virginia Wiffle Ball World Series to be played Saturday, May 21. For complete Story click the header above.&nbs ¶ 10:26 PM
Fourty-eight teams and more than 200 wiffleball players have signed up for a wiffle ball event organized by Brian and Amy Bedell to benefit research efforts at Duke University's Brain Tumor Center. They hope to raise $30,000 to $40,000 at the Northern Virginia Wiffle Ball World Series to be played Saturday, May 21. For complete Story click the header above.&nbs ¶ 10:26 PM
