Major League Wiffleball
Wiffleball photos, tips, and product reviews

On Monday, Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. homered for the 8th time on opening day of his 21-year career, tying Frank Robinson’s record for the most opening day home runs of all-time. We just wish this one wasn’t against the Twins.

When Major League Wiffleball players think of Ken Griffey, Jr., we immediately think of home runs. Not from the player though, but from his bat. His wiffleball bat.

A few years ago, when I was eating dinner at Bennigan’s Restaurant, I got talking to Jeff of the former band, “The Kast”, who came over to my table and joined me. The conversation quickly turned to wiffleball, and he asked me if I had ever tried the Ken Griffey, Jr. bat. I hadn’t even heard of it, and I asked what was so great about it. Jeff, a fellow wiffleball fan responded, “When you pick it up, you just know…” I’ll never forget those words.

Jeff informed me that this fine piece of sports equipment was sold at Toys R Us. I wasn’t expecting much, but the next day, I drove over to Toys R Us, headed to their version of the sporting goods section, and found the bat. There was only one left. I grabbed it right away, in case there was another wiffleball player a few steps behind me looking for the same item. Luckily, it’s now available online.

It was a black bat with Ken Griffey, Jr.’s name on it. The bat was about 34 inches long, which was a few inches longer than the bats we were already using. The barrel of the bat was also a little bigger in diameter than other bats we used, such as the traditional yellow wiffleball bat. This bat looked and felt more like an actual baseball bat.

Although the “Griffey bat” was a hollow piece of plastic, just like every other bat we used, there was something different about this one. I took a few check-swings in the aisle, just to test it out, brought it up to the front register, and bought it. “I just knew” this bat was better than the bats we were using. Everyone else thought so too.

When we introduced the bat for the next game day, it was a hit — a big hit. Everyone started crushing the ball. Batters that only had one or two homers all year were hitting one or two home runs a game. In the several years of MLW, we never had a single piece of equipment impact the game more than the Ken Griffey, Jr. bat.

Was this all psychological? Or was this bat special? We like to think that it was a combination of the two. The “Griffey bat” quickly became the preferred bat of nearly every MLW player from that point on.

Although the bat’s power streak eventually slowed down, it never went away. The “Griffey bat” is better than any bat we have ever used, and everyone who plays wiffleball should try it out. Pick one up soon, so you’ll have it before your wiffleball season starts.

Do you have a bat that you think is better? Share your thoughts below. Or prove us wrong and send a bat for us review. Our mailing address is available by request through our contact form.