Is it OK to bean someone with a wiffleball?

April 17, 2008

Yes, but you should avoid it at all costs. Sure, sometimes there’s a guy that probably deserves to get hit in the head, but here at MLW, we’re not a fan of intentionally beaning batters.

Although it’s unlikely, people can get hurt this way. Sure, the ball is made of plastic, but the person that gets hurt might not be the batter. The pitcher could be injured as a result of a flying bat or fist thrown in retaliation.

If someone just hit a home run off you, don’t bean them the next time they come up to bat. Throw better pitches. Get them out. The ultimate revenge for a pitcher is striking the batter out when you face them again, not hitting them in the head with a plastic baseball to put them on base.

You also need to think ahead. You’re probably going to bat again. If you just intentionally threw a bean ball at someone, you might have to step into the batter’s box and face them in the next inning. There’s a good chance that you’re going to get pelted. Is it really worth it? Probably not. Otherwise, the beaning continues, and all of a sudden you’re playing dodgeball, not wiffleball. Wouldn’t you rather get even by hitting a home run off them instead?

If you’re the victim, don’t throw the bat or charge the mound. Simply jog to first base. Rub the sore spot, if you must. Not every beaning is intentional either. Sometimes pitchers get nervous or the ball gets away. Remember, wiffleballs do have a tendency to curve on their own. Batters will get hit by a pitch every now and then. Accidents happen.

The only time when it could even be considered to be acceptable to bean a wiffleball batter is after they’ve intentionally beaned you — it’s an eye for an eye, basically. Even then, it’s not necessarily the right thing to do.

Just remember, it’s wiffleball. You play it in your backyard, in an open field, at the end of the street, etc. It’s supposed to be fun, not violent. Hopefully, you wouldn’t throw checkers, a Yahtzee shaker, or the Monopoly thimble if something didn’t go your way in those games. Remember, wiffleball is a game too.

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