(File Photos/DigitalFreePress.com)
Logan Rose: 1ON1 with the Scottsdale Western WIFFLE Ball Classic founder
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
This Saturday, Oct. 29, at Scottsdale Stadium, some of the best wiffle ball players in the continental United States will come to the Cactus League home of the San Francisco Giants.
The third annual Scottsdale Western WIFFLE Ball Classic is upon the Valley of the Sun — and arguably the world’s greatest wiffle ball player, Jordan Robles, will be competing for the Western WIFFLE Ball Classic championship this weekend.
Jordan, who hails from New York, is widely regarded as one of the fastest WIFFLE ball pitchers in the country, event promoters contend.
“I can’t wait to team up at the Big League WIFFLE Ball this weekend and compete against a ton of great west coast players,” he told the Arizona Digital Free Press. “Between the great weather and this incredible stadium, it should make for a fantastic tournament.”
Western WIFFLE Ball Classic officials report 20 teams are set and ready to go, but space is still available for a handful of more teams. The 2022 tournament will allow for up to 42 teams to enjoy a competitive championship tournament. All fields will be set up on Scottsdale Stadium’s main field, which is an arrow’s shot from Old Town Scottsdale.
Teams will be comprised of three to five players, each team guaranteed to play three games each. Games will last 35 minutes or four innings, whichever comes first. Then, eight teams from each division advance to the playoffs.
Again, this year the Home Run Derby Championship will return to this year’s tournament and will be active for the duration of the tournament. Each participant will have seven outs to hit as many home runs as they can. The Home Run Derby champion will receive a trophy of their own.
Sixteen-year-old Logan Rose started and organized the tournament during the pandemic as a way to give wiffle ball fans a venue and tournament to play in and now the spectacle has blossomed into an annual event.
1ON1 with Logan Rose of the
Scottsdale Western WIFFLE Ball Classic
The Scottsdale Daily Beat reached out to the young entrepreneurial mind to discuss his event — and what he thinks his chances are for taking home the Western WIFFLE Classic championship. Turns out, Logan is a WIFFLE ball force in his own right. This is what he had to say:
•Can you tell me a little bit about where the idea for this event came from?
The idea for the event came from our success in our backyard league — Big League Wiffle Ball. After the success of our first season we decided to take it to a bigger stage, forming a tournament at Scottsdale Stadium.
•How long have you been playing whiffle ball?
I’ve been playing wiffle ball in my backyard since I was a kid as a way of practicing baseball; however, I began playing competitively during COVID in 2020.
•You any good?
We’re some of the best wiffle ball players in the country for sure. We just finished third in the U17 wiffle ball national championship. We’ve got a good shot of winning the championship this year.
•What is scuffing and why is it allowed?
Scuffing is essentially rubbing the ball against dirt, pavement, or even a knife to create more grip, generating more movement with the wiffle ball — also why it’s allowed.
•What is new with this year’s tournament?
This year’s tournament features two divisions; competitive and recreational, with the only difference being strike zone size, skill level and pitching distance. Both divisions will crown a champion on Saturday evening.
•Has this event evolved beyond your expectations?
For sure. When we started the event I didn’t expect to have former wiffle ball national champions, MLB managers, and other wiffle ball players traveling from out of state to participate. This year we have the top player in the country participating out of New York, something I never expected to happen.
•What do you think is the future potential for this unique event at Scottsdale Stadium?
I believe this event can grow to one of the largest wiffle ball tournaments in the country. Especially with all of the spring training fields in Arizona, we could do a lot of great things.
•How many players are you expecting this year?
We’re expecting 28 teams this year from various states across the country, with some of the top players in the world. Each team ranges from 3-5 players leading to over 100 players in total.
