Heres the pitch: Wiffle ball's thriving

In the age of MySpace, iTunes and Grand Theft Auto, the Wiffle ball might seem like the kind of ancient artifact that Indiana Jones would hunt down.

Yet every spring, when the snow melts and the breeze finally turns warm, people all over the Chicago area dig out the white plastic ball with the funny-looking holes and start to play.

And no, it's not just little kids and old-timers doing it.

"We're addicted," said 18-year-old Jared Brown of Carol Stream as he and three friends played a pickup game of Wiffle ball at Armstrong Park. "It's incredible how much time we spend playing this."

The Wiffle ball first landed in America's backyards in 1953. Its oblong holes allowed baseball fans to throw curves and sliders like the pros without killing their arms. And because the ball was made out of rubbery plastic, it was safe to use in yards and driveways.

The game quickly became an almost mandatory part of American childhood, with rules that differed from backyard to backyard.

Some threw the ball fast, some lobbed it. Some scuffed the ball to give it more curve, others covered the holes with electrical tape so hitters could launch towering home runs.

"The Wiffle ball was a hit because just about everyone could play it," said Stephen Mullany, vice president of Connecticut-based Wiffle Ball Inc. and grandson of the ball's creator. "And you could change the game to match your skill level."

Today, as teens and younger adults spend more of their free time on electronic entertainment and the Internet, the Wiffle ball might seem like a candidate for the nostalgia bin.

But local fans say the Internet has actually kept the game relevant by providing a place where players of all ages can organize and compete in regional tournaments.

The Internet has kicked Wiffle ball up to a whole other level, Brown said. These games are serious, and they allow pitchers to let loose and do all different kinds of things with the ball.

Brown and his friends play relaxed pickup games as often as they can, usually in one of their driveways. But they also like to set up more serious games at a park, complete with an official strike zone and pro-level pitching.

"We scuff our balls on the ground so they move better," he said. "And we like to use deluxe bats. It gets pretty intense."

Roselle resident John Patty, a lifelong Wiffle enthusiast, agrees that the Internet has been a good thing for the game.

"With the Web, for the first time you could connect with players from all over the area -- all over the country, even," he said. "That's when I noticed the game really start to take off."

Patty, 45, grew up playing Wiffle ball in the South suburbs with his five brothers. He says they'd play so much that the ball would split apart.

"We couldn't afford to keep buying new balls back then, so we'd just tape it up as best we could, and start playing again," he said.

Patty still plays as much as he can, both informally at home and in competitive tournaments around the area. Last year, his team, the Bandits, which includes his 16-year-old son, took first place in the fast-pitch division at the annual Wiffle Fest in Homewood.

"What's great about Wiffle ball is that it's a game I started playing when I was 4, and I can still do it," said Patty, who prides himself on his pitching ability. "And now I can play with my sons and see the younger generation get into it. I love that."