Big League WIFFLE Ball News

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

Here’s an update from CPT Cory Newmann, deployed Midwest Manager of Big League Wiffle Ball:

So there I was, knee deep in training at my mobilization station at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, just a few short days away from deploying to Southern Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. We had recently been issued our equipment, to include body armor, steel toed boots, various forms of eye protection, and a multitude of other gear–enough to fill three Army duffle bags and a large rucksack. Now that we had our equipment, the good idea fairy had landed. All sorts of phenomenally intelligent ideas for new training were being put out. Things like…Hey! Since we have our 2 mile road march (in full battle rattle) tomorrow morning at 0600, let’s ‘practice’ road marching! With humidity so thick it felt like we were walking through tapioca pudding, we ‘practiced’ road marching. By the end of practice, motivation was failing.

CPT Cory Newmann, Midwest Manager and tactical wiffle baller

 
After training was done for the day, I had an opportunity to hop a seat aboard the bus into town. The troops needed a pick me up, something to bring the morale back around. In the Army we call it esprit de corps. I hurried to the local drug store, and picked up two Wiffle Ball sets. I seriously appreciated that the total was under $10, because in the transition from civilian to military life, I was between paychecks.

 
My roommate and I headed out to the field behind our barracks and started a game. In minutes, a crowd formed and Soldiers started to take interest. First to jump in was 1LT Greg Stetzer, quickly tagged with the moniker “The ripper.” I was pitching to Stetzer, and apparently my knuckleball wasn’t moving enough, because he was destroying each one- bouncing them off the roof of the barracks. My roommate, Chief Warrant Officer John Bourdeaux stepped up to the mound and started working his slider to good effect. My knuckleball may have been labeled as ‘weaksauce,’ but I have yet to break out my riser.

 
Several other Soldiers stepped up to the strike zone and displayed their skill with the yellow bat. SGT Aaron Hunnel joined in, and started throwing a ridiculous curveball. The company First Sergeant even came out and hit a few, smiling and talking about how it reminded him of playing stickball as a kid.

 
Chief Bourdeaux said it took him back to his childhood as well, recalling the days of playing home run derby with Wiffle Ball on the tennis courts. More and more people came by the field as we were playing, and Chief Bourdeaux said “that is the beauty of Wiffle Ball, absolutely anyone can play.”

LT Stetzer Reacting to Contact (wiffle, not enemy contact)

We played for about two hours, wrapped up in competition and memories of our youth. People are already asking me about setting up teams and tournaments. We will continue to build our skills here stateside, in preparation for playing in that big, sandlot overseas. Intelligence reports indicate there are Soldiers playing in Baghdad; I already can see the brackets….North versus South…

SGT Hunnel, Wiffle's own Wild Thing, complete with birth control glasses for accurate pitching

Email questions or comments to   mack@bigleaguewiffleball.com