MORRIS: Remember wiffle ball?

By CHRIS MORRIS
Chris.Morris@newsandtribune.com

April 30, 2008 12:03 am

— The other day while looking for a new softball glove, I came across an interesting item — a wiffle ball and bat combo set.
Do kids still play wiffle ball?
I think wiffle ball was one of the greatest inventions known to kids.
I loved it.
You could throw curve balls with ease and if you did hit someone, it just stung a little. In fact, with only two or three players, we allowed the defense to throw the ball at baserunners. If it hit them, they were out. If they missed, they would take an extra base or two.
As we got older, we used aluminum bats to hit the wiffle ball. It helped us hit curve balls and the ball would go further. Of course, the balls didn’t last as long.
We combated that by wrapping them in black tape.
The daily summer routine was a simple one. Wiffle ball, with an aluminum bat in the morning, throwing ground balls in the street with a rubber-coated baseball in the evening.
We never made it to the majors, but we had a great time. Memories I’m sure we will never forget. I know I haven’t.
I just didn’t know wiffle balls were still a popular item. Are kids still interested in something that’s not connected to a hard drive or computer screen, or that’s not a board with four wheels.
Neighborhoods have changed, and so have kids. Maybe my generation is to blame.
Were we so worried about our kids that we didn’t let them be kids? Were we too worried about perverts preying on our youngsters as they played in a neighbor’s yard?
I know I was overprotective.
In my generation, we would wake up, tell our mothers we were going “down the street” or outside to play ball and that was that. We would return hours later.
There were injuries to worry about — the jammed fingers, knee to the groin during football — but they didn’t have to worry about predators. At least, I don’t think they did.
I miss seeing kids play ball. Ask a kid today if they still play hotbox and they will call the police. Tell them to get five of their friends and that right field will be dead because there are not enough fielders, and they will look at you like you are nuts.
But roll around on a skateboard, with a toboggan on despite the summer heat, and they will give you a thumbs up. I just have to accept that it’s a different world.
My hope is for kids to get outdoors and stay active. If that means they want to skateboard, fine. If it means they want to get out the wiffle ball, that is even better.
Contact Chris Morris at chris.morris@newsandtribune.com.

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