Wide World of Sports: Wiffle Ball
- 130 teams at the 2014 Ashland Wifflefest
- Fest has to limit to 44 Adult teams and will reach that early this week
- Five days of Wiffle Ball is just what Ashland wants
- Built the field to 3/10 to scale of major league parks
ASHLAND – The unique sport of Wiffle Ball has mainly been played in backyards across America, but an Ashland Church has taken the sport and turned it into a week-long festival that has lasted 16 years.
The Southview Grace Brethern Church has hosted ‘Wifflefest’ for the past decade and a half. Senior Pastor Mark Abel is credited with the creation of the event.
“It is sort of my brain child. I just remember that the community Fourth of July fireworks were right across the street and the crowd was already there. All we needed was something for them to participate in,” Abel said.
The former college baseball player dug deep into his love for baseball and thought back to his childhood memories of Wiffle Ball. It was there where he decided to create the first Wifflefest, an event that seemed like a failure.
“The first Wifflefest did not get off to a great start. I scheduled it for the 4th of July and that year it was on a Tuesday. We had three registrations heading into the week, so I was nervous. We ended up with 17 teams and it was a great turnout. Now, we have to cap off the adult teams at 44,” Abel said.
Last year saw around 130 total teams, a far cry from the 17 in Year 1. Another major difference from that first year is the fact Abel had to ditch the idea of a one-day event and turn it into a week-long celebration. But, Abel does not just stop at providing people a chance to play, he consults with a friend, Mike Barr, to build the field to 3/10 scale of major league parks.
“We usually have some of our mathematicians out there arguing over 6 inches,” Abel said jokingly. “But, it is a way to have some fun with the event. People come out and see the Green Monster in left field. It just teaches them a little more about baseball.”
The event kicked off on Sunday with a noncompetitive family game and will pick back up at 4 p.m. Thursday with Elementary and Junior High tournaments. A high school tournament will be held at 4 p.m. Friday and the main event adult tournament will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday. The event also will feature a hog roast and live entertainment on Saturday.
Teams are made up of four players, a pitcher, catcher and two infielders. There are divisions for just about everyone and teams will be placed in the division in which the oldest player falls into. Teams must register before midnight of the day of each tournament. Registration is $30 and teams will be placed in the brackets by time of registration and no walk up registrations will be accepted.
For more information visit southviewgbc.org.
Wiffle Ball growing in popularity
Wiffle Ball originated in Connecticut in the 1950’s with the name deriving from the term for a strikeout, “whiff.” The ball is a plastic ball about the size of a baseball but it hallow with eight holes to one side. The holes allow for pitchers to make their pitches curve and rise more than a normal baseball would. A regulation Wiffle Ball bat is 32 inches, plastic, lightweight and usually yellow.
Since the 1990’s and with the help of the internet, Wiffle Ball tournaments have been popping up all over the United States. The sport has become so popular that one of the game’s best pitchers was featured on ESPN’s Sports Science. And, yes, there are professional leagues that pay out thousands of dollars to tournament winners.
While the Wifflefest is a far cry from the professional leagues found all over the country, it is still a great contributor to Wiffle ball and the wide world of sports.
Readers: If you know of a unique sporting event like the Whifflefest, call or email sports writer Jake Furr at 419-610-5034 or jfurr@gannett.com.