Monday, July 18, 2005
Wiff Pics
YBN- We have no idea how many people are out there using Flickr to upload pics of Wiffleball but this gallery has a few to browse. Click the header above to get to the pics&nbs
¶ 4:03 PM
It's serious Wiffle Ball
By JASON WATT
Northwest Herald
The field at the Pappas' Backyard Classic is not an ordinary field.
The dimensions of the park are 180 to center field, 144 to left and 138 to right. But they are not measured in feet. In fact, they are measured by hot dogs.
You might be thinking to yourself, "That is not normal for a baseball field." You would be correct.
The field is not used for baseball, instead it is Wiffle Ball. Sunday was the fifth annual Pappas' Backyard Classic for high school athletes from Crystal Lake.
With cars lighting the field, Brian Alger and Travis Bloomfield of Prairie Ridge beat classmates Mike Carmody and Bob O'Hagan for the championship.
Jason Pappas, the acting commissioner of the games staged at his parents' house, said it takes about a day to get the field ready to play on.
The field was complete with a snow fence making up the dimensions of the outfield and foul poles made out of 2-by-4s and painted yellow. Also, sitting out in dead center is a scoreboard so spectators know who is winning the game.
"The field is nice and watered,"said Alger, a Prairie Ridge baseball and football player. "It feels good under your feet. Plus, the wind was really gusting out, so there were a lot of balls carrying out."
Pappas, who got the idea of having a tournament when he was 11, is responsible for making up the rules of the classic for the two-person teams. Some are unusual.
Games last five innings or 25 minutes, whichever comes first. Outfielders can rob home runs by jumping over the fence. A batter cannot be called out on strikes if he does not swing the bat, but the second strike can be called without the hitter swinging. And, as in most Wiffle Ball games, pitcher's-hand rules apply.
Many participants are from Prairie Ridge, and a few were from Crystal Lake Central.
Joe Capalbo, a basketball and soccer player from Central, is in his third year playing at the classic.
"It is pretty fun, because I go to Central and don't get a chance to see these guys as much," Capalbo said. "But the competition is good and the later the day gets, the more intense the games become."
The whole day of festivities Ð including food, drinks, making the field, bat and balls Ð will cost the family about $500. Each team competing had a $14 entry fee to help pay for some of the expenses.
Teams were made up of players from high school basketball, football, soccer and tennis teams. Even a few baseball players showed up.
There were 12 teams that competed to get to the championship game. Trophies are awarded for first and second place. Getting one is not easy. They take the games seriously.
"The competition is the best part of the tournament," Pappas said. "There is a lot of trash talk leading up to the games. It is a good buildup, with an even better payoff during the games."&nbs ¶ 9:06 AM
Northwest Herald
The field at the Pappas' Backyard Classic is not an ordinary field.
The dimensions of the park are 180 to center field, 144 to left and 138 to right. But they are not measured in feet. In fact, they are measured by hot dogs.
You might be thinking to yourself, "That is not normal for a baseball field." You would be correct.
The field is not used for baseball, instead it is Wiffle Ball. Sunday was the fifth annual Pappas' Backyard Classic for high school athletes from Crystal Lake.
With cars lighting the field, Brian Alger and Travis Bloomfield of Prairie Ridge beat classmates Mike Carmody and Bob O'Hagan for the championship.
Jason Pappas, the acting commissioner of the games staged at his parents' house, said it takes about a day to get the field ready to play on.
The field was complete with a snow fence making up the dimensions of the outfield and foul poles made out of 2-by-4s and painted yellow. Also, sitting out in dead center is a scoreboard so spectators know who is winning the game.
"The field is nice and watered,"said Alger, a Prairie Ridge baseball and football player. "It feels good under your feet. Plus, the wind was really gusting out, so there were a lot of balls carrying out."
Pappas, who got the idea of having a tournament when he was 11, is responsible for making up the rules of the classic for the two-person teams. Some are unusual.
Games last five innings or 25 minutes, whichever comes first. Outfielders can rob home runs by jumping over the fence. A batter cannot be called out on strikes if he does not swing the bat, but the second strike can be called without the hitter swinging. And, as in most Wiffle Ball games, pitcher's-hand rules apply.
Many participants are from Prairie Ridge, and a few were from Crystal Lake Central.
Joe Capalbo, a basketball and soccer player from Central, is in his third year playing at the classic.
"It is pretty fun, because I go to Central and don't get a chance to see these guys as much," Capalbo said. "But the competition is good and the later the day gets, the more intense the games become."
The whole day of festivities Ð including food, drinks, making the field, bat and balls Ð will cost the family about $500. Each team competing had a $14 entry fee to help pay for some of the expenses.
Teams were made up of players from high school basketball, football, soccer and tennis teams. Even a few baseball players showed up.
There were 12 teams that competed to get to the championship game. Trophies are awarded for first and second place. Getting one is not easy. They take the games seriously.
"The competition is the best part of the tournament," Pappas said. "There is a lot of trash talk leading up to the games. It is a good buildup, with an even better payoff during the games."&nbs ¶ 9:06 AM
