Big League WIFFLE Ball News

The Demise of Fast Plastic

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:18:51 +0000

By: Jon Anderson

In the late 90’s to early 2000’s I remember receiving the Fast Plastic News Letter in the mail, and I don’t mean email. For a Wiffle obsessed teenager like myself there was NO better toilet reading to be had than that 2–page Microsoft Word document. That newsletter was what sparked my initial fire for fast pitch Wiffleball, so to actually win the fast Plastic National Championship approximately 10-years later was quite the honor. Little did I know that 2009 would be the last year of existence for the trail blazing organization?

Last year, after awarding the trophies and watching as Josh Pagano, Evan Lazur, Steve Urqhart and myself reveled in our champagne bath, Fast Plastic Co-Founder Billy Owens announced his retirement from all facets of the game of Wiffleball. He said that his playing days were over and more importantly that he would no longer be spearheading the organization which had produced the best competition that the game had to offer. Billy offered to hand the reigns over to a willing and enterprising volunteer, but nobody stepped to the plate. Over the years I have realized that running an organization like FP can be a seriously thankless job. It is completely impossible to make everyone happy and exhausting to try to do so. I think that Billy had realized this and that every worthy candidate to take over realized it as well.

So, in the wake of the demise of FP something had to give. There had to be someone or something that would satisfy the enormous demand for competitive Wiffleball that FP was leaving behind. Enter Lou Levesque. Those of us who live on the east coast and know Lou well from playing in GSWL knew that he would swoop in and be the man to satisfy that demand and even create more of it. After all, he took a group of extended friends who loved to play the game and in 7 years has turned it into a national phenomenon. It was only natural that he would be the man for the job.

Lou seized the opportunity and beginning with this year he has sprouted a branch off of the GSWL tree creating the GSTC (aka Goldenstick Tournament Circuit). The GSTC is essentially Fast Plastic taken to the next level. He has come up with a multitude of different ideas to satisfy every player from the novices to the bona-fide Pros. The GSTC will culminate in a final championship tournament in Phoenix, AZ known as “The Open” This tournament boasts a prize pool of $10,000 + with the bulk of it going to the National Champs.

Lou has certainly done a great job keeping the torch he received from Billy Owens lit and has managed to make it burn brighter than ever. We are all very excited for this year and know that in the coming years, even with half the growth that the Goldenstick tree has attained this during the 2009-2010 offseason that the main goal is starting to take its shape. But, ask Lou if he could have GSWL and the GSTC in the position that they currently sit without the pioneering efforts of FP’s Billy Owens and Bruce Chrystie you will get an absolutely definitive “NO” as your answer. He knows the level of respect that is due to them and that owes it to them and to the obsessed players they have created to take great care of the torch. He’s off to a great start.

2010 Upcoming Wiffle Ball Events in New England

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:30:07 +0000

March 27th - GSWL Banquet

April 11th - Big League Wiffle Ball -Newton, Mass

May 15th - Deadline for rosters to be submitted for GSWL

May 15th- New England Wiffle Ball Association- Northborough, Mass

June 6th - GSWL Jamboree

June 13th - GSWL Opening Day

July 10th- Britton John Broatch Memorial Tournament- Milford, CT

July 24th - Big League Wiffle Ball - New Britain, CT

Ben Zobrist vs. Toby Mac-Wiffle Ball Challenge

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:30:56 +0000

Ben Zobrist vs Toby Mac // Wiffle Ball Challenge from Ryan Bodie Films on Vimeo.

Big League Ben Back on U.S. Soil

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:28:44 +0000

It has been a phenomenal year.

After spending nearly one year in Iraq, stepping off the plane from Kuwait and onto the snow-crusted tarmac in Wisconsin was surreal. I have never been so thankful to live in the United States.

I think all Americans have an understanding that we are truly lucky or blessed to have been born in this country with all of its priceless freedoms. To travel to a distant location and experience a place that is foreign to America in nearly every way cements that sensation in you.

Thanks are in order for all of you in the Big League Wiffle Ball community who supported and are supporting the Midwest contingent. I appreciated the letters from the Connecticut school kids that Nick Benas set up. Our favorite letter received from an elementary school kid read: “Dear Soldier: Don’t Die. I love you.” We all thought that was really funny and kept saying it to one another as we went on missions or just killed time on the FOB (Forward Operating Base).

As Nick Benas introduced Wiffle Ball to the Iraqis during his tour with the Marine Corps, Cory Newmann and I have tried to carry on his legacy. I hoped that at some point we could’ve snapped a photo under the crossed sabers in Baghdad with wiffle bats, but that opportunity never presented itself. In fact, the only time I even saw the crossed sabers were when we were flying down the streets in our MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles, trying to get back to our base while roadside bombs and small arms fire were lighting up the streets of Baghdad. Our motto that night was “Drive Fast, Take Chances.”

We did get some chances to play wiffle ball on Camp Liberty. With makeshift fields carved into the sand and gravel, water bottles made up field lines. Packing the strike zone and balls and bats was worth it. It will always be a memory that I could never have imagined in all my life. Newmann coming down to Baghdad and sneaking in a wiffle ball game or two among the palm trees, not far from where Paul R. Smith earned the Medal of Honor fighting off a company-sized (approximately 100 man) attack with a .50 caliber machine gun. Insane.

Another thanks are in order to DOOM who sent me some autographed wiffle balls while I was over there. I appreciate the hell out of that–couldn’t believe it when I tore the package open after mail call.

Well, you’re probably sick of listening to me jaw-jack so I’ll hang it up. I just wanted to let everyone know that I appreciate their support. Please remember Cory as he still has a couple more months in the sandbox. Hopefully he’ll get out of there before the summer heat hits 120 so we can bring some more Big League Wiffle Ball to the Midwest.

I can’t wait to set up the wiffle fields in the Midwestern summer sun, have everyone come out, and listen to the crack of the plastic. What is more American than that?

Ben Biddick, BLWB Midwest Manager

Girl Biffs at a Phillies Tailgate

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:29:53 +0000

Baby Clubbed with Bat

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:23:52 +0000

Ouch!

Nick’s favorite Christmas present

Big League — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:31:00 +0000

Nick was lucky enough to receive some pretty sweet boxers for Christmas. Notice the variety of wiffle images…beautiful. Now, not only does Nick have wiffle in his heart…he has wiffle in his pants.

A Christmas present, to Nick from a very special someone

Flashback to 2008 Big League Wiffle Ball Nutmeg Games

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:46:56 +0000

The Champions Challenge - Achieve Your Sports Dreams

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:37:33 +0000

Click Here…Learn More.

Happy Holidays…

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:28:20 +0000

The NEW BLWB Mascot

Happy Holidays from BLWB !!!!!!
We’d like to introduce our new mascot…
Got a great name for him?? Post it in the comments below for a chance to win some free BLWB gear.
The circus is coming to town in 2010 !!!