GSWL Open 2011 DVD Out SOON!

For $24.99 you can get a copy of the 2011 GSWL Open (National Championship) DVD. You can pre-order it from the GSWL website. Just thought some of you might want to know. I've seen the 2010 dvd and it's pretty impressive. So if you're wanting to know more about that organization, this dvd would be a great place to start.

GSWL - All Aboard

GSWL wants you! This 8 minute epic advertisement gives outsiders a deeper gaze into the largest wiffle organization in the world. They've expanded regions and still have room for more. Something tells me that 2012 will be Golden Stick's biggest season yet.

Wiff Junkies Indoor Tournament In 9 Days

If you visit the Tournament Tracker page on this blog you'll quickly notice that there were nearly 100 tournaments this year and few stand out. You'll also notice that the frequency of tournaments dramatically drops after late August or early September. So when a promising winter tournament in New England appears I feel I must point it out. Scotty "Wiffs" Martell (from Golden Stick) emailed me about such a tournament. He's hosting a tournament in N. Smithfield, Rhode Island on December 17. It's not only an indoor tournament, which is rare, but it's a tournament that takes place during the middle of the night - the only tournament to do that this year (that I'm aware of). It starts at 10 p.m. and, depending on the amount of teams, will surely continue well past the time when the rooster crows.

I should also mention that Martell runs a site that some of you may have heard of, Wiff Junkies. The site is similar to this one, a blog that sports an online magazine. From what I can tell, all (or most) of the articles appear to have been written by Martell. Quite impressive if you ask me - that's quite a load. The things I have previously mentioned is where the similarities between Wiffler's Digest and Wiff Junkies end. Wiff Junkies has a primary focus on GSWL/GSTC whereas Wiffler's Digest focuses more on backyard/recreational leagues. There's nothing wrong with that and readers from both magazines could benefit from reading what the other end of the spectrum is talking about...see how the other half lives, if you will. But there is no animosity between the two projects as Martell appears to show respect to the Digest in the Editor's Note from the first issue. So if you want to know a little more about GSWL or just want some more wiffle reading material check them out.

GSWL Announcement... On An Upcoming Announcement?

So it's barely the off-season, a time that most league commissioners or presidents are taking it easy and not thinking about what the next season will bring. But if you're like Lou Levesque and run the largest wiffleball organization in the country - you don't have the luxury of "taking it easy" for about 5 or 6 months like the rest of us. According to a brand new article posted on Golden Stick's website there will be some major changes happening to the GSWL/GSTC format next year. What are the changes? No one outside of the Golden Stick front office knows. What was the point of the article? I can't say for sure. I suppose it's a 'heads up' that some fecal matter could be hitting the metaphorical fan for some of it's players. With great changes comes great dispute. Levesque has the league on "stand by" and to not make any significant decisions about teams and so on because the new format will surely "rock the boat." The front office had "headed discussions" over the changes and it's up to the players to "perfect it" once the new format is released to the public.

However, Levesque says the changes are necessary and that he "won’t stop looking until we [golden stick] see that we’re truly perfect.” In sum, Levesque is striving for perfection in his latest overhaul of the league's format. I find this to be admirable but cannot help but worry that his vision, which has yet to be revealed to the public eye, may be too ambitious. The funny thing about ambition is few people have it and it can serve as a repellant to many. Levesque is a man who is no stranger to constantly 'reinventing the wheel' but it takes hard work and dedication to perform such a task. I guess the real question is can the players in Golden Stick support Levesque's vision? We'll soon find out.

Premature Death For One GSWL Wiffler

It is with regret that today's post is the announcing of the untimely death of Kyle Piazza from Golden Stick Wiffleball League on October 30, 2011. His demise came at the hands of cancer. He only lived to be 28 years old but his reputation appears to have had the tendency to precede him as he was described as "unbreakable as they come" on the NWLA messageboard today. He  won Most Valuable Player last year in the MA Region of Yard League and won the MA Region with the Throwbacks in 2009. Clearly this guy was talented and his absence will be noticed in the MA Region but he "will always be a champion" according to an article on the GSWL website. Golden Stick has also uploaded a tribute video that you can view if you so desire.

"Open Arms" At the Open

For those of you who missed the Golden Stick National Championships, aka "the OPEN", in Boston this past week you're in luck because they just leaked a video that displays some of the top pitchers. There are some sick pitches in this video! See for yourself.

GSWL/GSTC "Open" Happening THIS WEEKEND!

21 teams from across the country will be meeting up in Boston, MA this weekend to battle it out for some cash ($3,000 to be exact). Click HERE to read the full article on the Golden Stick page.

Golden Stick Gets Some Attention

Golden Stick gets some love on the summer show via Ultimate Athlete Magazine. Ultimate Athlete typically covers high school sports from Long Island but have branched out to incorporate a wiffle story. Check it out.

Golden Stick teams up with Travis Roy Foundation

This year makes the 10th year that people have been raising money for the Travis Roy Foundation. This year Golden Stick took part in the Travis Roy Tournament at Little Fenway and helped the foundation raise a record breaking $406,000 this year alone ($1.5 million since 2002). That's a lot of money for a great cause! For more information on this story READ HERE.

WiffleBoy28 To Appear On Comedy Central

Sean Steffy, or 'WiffleBoy28' as he's known on Youtube, will be appearing on Comedy Central's Tosh.0 this Tuesday evening. According to the Golden Stick website, Steffy returned from Los Angeles yesterday after filming for the show. It wasn't all easy-going for Steffy. He arrived in LA on schedule but unfortunately his equipment (yellow bat, scuffed balls, & strikezone) were not yet in town. You can imagine how this would devastating this was for Steffy. Fortunately for the WiffleBoy there is an equally enthusiastic wiffler in Los Angeles. Nick Benas (of Big League Wiffleball) was only a 15 minute bike ride away from the hotel Comedy Central provided for Steffy. Benas really came through and literally got on a bicycle and brought Steffy a yellow bat, some wiffle balls, and scuffing tools while Steffy was constructing a strikezone. We'll see if it worked out this Tuesday as it airs on Comedy Central's Tosh.0. Be sure to watch! This television appearance just might be the most attention the sport will receive for quite some time...and it couldn't come at a better time, right at the heels of Steve Everett's (Kalamazoo Wiffleball League) mind-blowing catch that gained national attention.

GSWL NY Region (Fast Pitch) Week 1

Golden Stick is in full swing now and it's going to be hard to look for recently uploaded videos without seeing several GSWL videos, and that's okay. The NY Fast Pitch Region was kind enough to upload this video and displayed just how impossible it is to hit off pitchers most of the time. But when batters do come around with that big bat the ball normally sails...but it's all about probability, odds are you're going to swing and miss. This type of pitching can challenge the "fag bat" school of thought.

GSWL PA Pitchers & HFWB Double Header

Two pretty nice videos were uploaded within the last 24 hours. Wiffleboy28 uploaded a video showcasing the finer pitchers in the GSWL (Pennsylvania Region) and Hess Field Wiffleball uploaded the highlights from a double header matchup between the Cardinals and Mets. The Cardinals swept the Mets (not surprising). HFWB really have their act together this year. The website is being constantly updated and they are posting a video every now and again. They have really improved from last year in this regard and I've got to hand it to them...they have my attention. I'm checking their website now more than ever.

If you're into that whole watching pitching videos thing...

...then you'll love this video. Except for perhaps Wiffleboy28, this guy has some of the best pitches seen on the web. Like Wiffleboy28 he plays in Golden Stick. jjallday203 is this dude's name by the way and he'll be playing for the Mass Revolvers this year so if you play in Golden Stick and play against this team, watch out for this guy.

GSWL - NY Region showing off their indoor training facility

These guys have been recently playing in their "combine" and although I don't really dig Golden Stick Wiffleball it looks like a pretty nice (yet basic) set up they have there. This particular region also looks to be made up of a lot of young guys, which is odd because most Golden Stick related players I've seen are approaching middle age. Maybe these guys aren't as conceited or arrogant?... Yeah, I think I pulled something when I said that from restraining laughter. Who knows? I know nothing about this region so you never know but if the stereotype holds true - they're probably douche-bags.

Golden Stick - Pennsylvania Region is ready. Are you?

Ready or not - here they come! Regardless of your feelings about Golden Stick Wiffleball (GSWL/GSTC) they will be returning. And by "they" I mean the entire behemoth that is Golden Stick. It's borderline impossible to get a full handle on these guys due to the vastness of their organization. They're a group that expands across the entire country, with 8 regions from Massachusetts to California. I've been a harsh critic of them from time to time but it's hard to criticize their determination. They play ball and they mean business. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is how seriously they take their business. At some point people need to ask themselves: This is just a game, right? At least they are somewhat honest with themselves. The little caption under 'Golden Stick Wifffleball League' at the header of their site says "A Backyard Game Taken Way Too Far." Way too far indeed. But I've got to say they're organized, professional, and well-skilled - admirable qualities. And as out-of-place as those qualities may be they do stand out from many other wiffleball organizations. Whether that's a good thing or not is entirely up to you.

Among the recent updates Hess Field Wiffleball has been blessing us with is their Ultimate Wiffler challenge. Sound familiar? Perhaps not. You wouldn't find it familiar at all unless you play in or are a fan of Golden Stick. Golden Stick has had a challenge with the exact name for about a year or so now. Ordinarily it would probably not be anything to worry about and seen as just a happy coincidence. But you can never tell for sure with these things with a serious organization like GSWL. They may have the name patented or copyrighted. Golden Stick was quick to respond to this recent update on the NWLA message board. "...way to be original. NOT." Check it out for yourself. If you're not registered on the board though you won't have any luck. So register and say your piece or just read. It's easily the best board in wiffle these days so you won't regret registering for it. But the argument could get nasty as it has before when involving Golden Stick. It's often the case that it ends up being Golden Stick vs. the rest of the wiffleball world...and I think they might prefer it that way.