Major League Wiffleball
Wiffle Ball photos, tips, and product reviews

Congratulations to Nick Punto and the St. Louis Cardinals for winning the 2011 World Series.

We had the opportunity to meet with Nick in 2010, back in our “Plastic Baseball” days, when he played for the Minnesota Twins.

Punto took the time to pose for this photo while holding one of our plastic baseballs. This was before our league made the switch to use the official Wiffle Ball.

The throw resembled Carl Lewis throwing out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game. Except this throw was unexpected, and came from the crowd during the seventh inning of Game 3 of the World Series.

Carl Lewis’ throw was just bad luck. This guy’s was a stupid decision. Sure, I understand being frustrated that your hometown team is losing bad in a World Series game, but throwing a Wiffle Ball at Matt Holliday isn’t going to help.

Congratulations to Jim Thome. Sure, I always found it annoying when he’d step in the batter’s box and point his bat at the pitcher, but on Monday night, he became only the 8th player in Major League Baseball history to hit 600 home runs. That’s quite an accomplishment.

To put it in perspective, the Major League Wiffleball all-time home run king, Mike Breen, hit 58 home runs in his career. Jim Thome has hit more than 10-times as many home runs, and he’s still going. He’s only a few home runs away from moving into 7th place on the all-time home run list. And he hasn’t been linked to steroids like a few of the other guys have.

Every year, it’s a good idea to replace old Wiffle Balls with new ones. Over time, some get cracked, some get worn out, and sometimes you just want a brand new one for a Major League Baseball player to autograph.

So I thought it was time to go shopping for some new Wiffle Balls.

It’s Memorial Day weekend. The unofficial start of summer is here. Across the country there will be family cookouts, barbecues, swimming, and backyard Wiffle Ball games.

Memorial Day weekend would often mark the beginning of a new Major League Wiffleball season. It’s when we’d begin our spring training, and prepare for the upcoming 20-game regular season.

While it’s fun to gather with family and friends and enjoy a long weekend, it’s also important to remember the reason we observe Memorial Day. So whether you’re crushing Uncle Charlie’s attempt of a 12-to-6 curve ball for a home run, or hopping the fence to retrieve all the foul balls hit into your next-door neighbor’s yard, take a minute to remember those soldiers who lost their lives fighting for our freedom and our way of life.

On Saturday, June 25, 2011, hundreds of Wiffle Ball players and fans will fill the fields and stands at Little Fenway and Little Wrigley in Essex, Vermont for the first SLAMDiabetes Wiffle Ball Tournament to support the battle against Type 1 diabetes. Twelve teams will compete for the tournament championship during a fun-filled day highlighted by Opening Ceremonies, a Kids and Celebrities Game, Home Run Derby, and a Silent Auction.

Is Wiffle Ball too dangerous for kids? Apparently not, but it was almost banned from New York State summer camps along with tag, dodgeball, and kickball for this upcoming summer.

Those activities, among others, were recently classified as “dangerous activities” that presented a “significant risk of injury”, according to the New York State Department of Health.

Last night, I was clocked throwing a wiffleball 99 mph. That might not sound as impressive as Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman throwing a baseball 105 mph, but it was fast enough for me.

OK, I was also clocked throwing 7 mph and 23 mph, so there were clearly a few bad readings on my new radar gun, including the 99 mph reading. Most of my pitches were clocked in the low 60s, which isn’t that bad considering that I didn’t warm up and I haven’t pitched in about a year.