Big
Jim, like George Washington, once cut down a cherry tree. But unlike
George, Big Jim didn’t go crying to his dad about it. No, Big
Jim - as often when tree-trimming - was ecstatic. It was the spring of 1987 and he was clearing the land for a project of epic
proportions; a project which, in the subsequent 25 years, would create
family fun for hundreds, maybe thousands, of individuals yearning for
wholesome, American recreation (and free hamburgers).
Not too long after that first cherry tree was ripped down, Big Jim laid
home plate and unfurled a snow fence between rows of trees along the property edge. He laid out some bases, tapped down a
pitching rubber and bought some perforated plastic balls and
some oversized red plastic bats. That summer, games began. In the
25 years since, we estimate (conservatively) that over 1000 games have
been played.
The name of the game? Wiffleball.
The place? Sportsmans Park
Over the years, there have been many changes to the field. A wall went
up in left, a flagpole was added, a backstop was installed, memorial
plaques went up in right-center, the Winnebago sign came and left, the
left-field landing came and left, etc. Through all of these changes and
adaptations, the game (unlike much of sports) has maintained the purity
and the innocence of those early years. To this day, there remain only
three essential rules which guide play:
Try Hard
Have Fun
No cell phones on the field
As
McDermotts, it has been our distinct pleasure to host you as guests, as
family and as friends. Some of you we met for a day, others of you
have grown up with us…but all of you, we hope, enjoyed yourselves, ate
well, and learned that hard grounders count more than lazy fly balls in this world.
As we enter this 26th season of Wiffleball, we look forward to continuing this great tradition and, more importantly, to seeing all of you again.
This
website is about preserving the history of wiffleball so please do so.
Add your memories, your photos, your rule suggestions and your taco dip
recipes.
