Wiffleball World Series

Wiffleball World Series Champs

After a grueling 20-game regular season, the Major League Wiffleball champion was decided in a best-of-seven playoff series. We called it the Sac Series. It was our version of a Wiffleball World Series, and it determined the best wiffleball team on our cul-de-sac.

All year long, players would compete to finish in the top 8 in the standings. Players finishing in the 1-4-5-8 spots would represent Team One, and would play against the 2-3-6-7 finishers, representing Team Two. Amazingly, the rankings were practically identical at the end of each season, and Team Two won all three Sac Series.

The great thing about playing with Major League Wiffleball rules is that there are special rules for postseason games. Teams no longer have to change pitchers each inning like during the regular season. In the playoffs, each player must be the starting pitcher for at least one game, and each pitcher is allowed to throw up to five innings in consecutive games. This prevents teams from throwing the same dominant pitcher every game. Also, designated hitters are not allowed, and each player must play at least one full inning in a defensive position (pitchers are considered fielders too).

MLW players generally enjoyed the special rules for the playoffs because it formed real teams, whereas during the regular season, the games focused more on individual performances. Changing it up for the playoffs added a whole new element that made players want to win. Batters would settle for a base hit, rather than swing for the fence to move up in the home run rankings, and pitchers would occasionally offer an intentional walk to a hot hitter and not worry about their WHIP going up.

Special playoff rules also allowed us to have our very first (and only) perfect game. It was a 14-strikeout gem by Quentin Jensen in Game 5 of the Season One Sac Series that gave Team Two the first ever Sac Series championship.

When you decide your league champion, don’t settle it Super Bowl style. One game is not enough. Make it at least a best-of-three, preferably, best-of-seven series. After all, if MLB had a 1-game World Series, the Phillies would have won the 2009 World Series already, and they now trail the Yankees 3 games-to-1.