Lake Orion Wiffle Ball Association Homepage(LOWA) - Recently Updated Pages

2009 Tourney

rvandenboom — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:36:29 CDT

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Lake Orion Wiffle Ball Association Homepage(LOWA) Home

rvandenboom — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:33:58 CDT

Welcome to the Official Website for the Lake Orion Wiffle Ball Associate(LOWA). LOWA is located in Lake Orion, MI. It's games are played at 171 Chamberlain in the backyard of the Vanden Boom residence. Games are played in the Summer and Fall months with the temperate climate of the Mideast. A tournament is held each year to determine the champion.

Please explore this site to further your understanding of the LOWA and it's purpose. The men who compete in this event take it very seriously and we are always looking for new competitors for the next tournament. If there are any questions or interests feel free to email the co-commisioners: rvandenboom@dgsd.k12.ak.us , jvboom03@yahoo.com , ryan.skalnek@gmail.com

As you check this site out, you are highly encouraged to post what you think about it along with any suggestions for new pages or improving existing pages using the "Threads" link near the bottom. Make sure you click the play button on the top of each page for an individulized song for your personal enjoment.

Kyle McMahon

rvandenboom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:16:57 CDT

Kyle was one of the rookie phenoms in 2008 on the field and came one out away from winning a championship game. He is known for his superior athleticism, power, and love of the game. Although his team was an early exit in 2009, look for Kyle to set the record straight in 2010.

Trey Skalnek

rvandenboom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:10:15 CDT

Trey joined the LOWA in 2008 and is blood with co-commisioner Ryan Skalnek. Trey and Ryan teamed up in 2008 but to no success. In 2009 Trey helped his team reach the championship game but was not able to come away with the trophy. Trey is known for holding down centerfield while making some incredible plays. In 2009 he was in competition for the best play award. Look for good things to come from Trey in 2010 tournament.

2010 Tournament

rvandenboom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:02:26 CDT

The 2010 tournament is rumored to be the biggest tournament yet. In 2010 the LOWA will be donating their proceeds to a charity that is yet to be named. 2010 has been rumored to include a 6th team, include sky box seats, a new scoreboard, and many more new updates.
If you are interested in participating, donating, or helping out in this year's tournament please contact rvandenboom@dgsd.k12.ak.us, jvboom03@yahoo.com, ryan.skalnek@gmail.com

Most Hustle

rvandenboom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:52:13 CDT

Past winners:

2007 Winner: Timothy Healy

a.) Timothy Healy is known for his intensity and lack of pre-meditated though before actions. He excuded this action on this fine day by hustling all over the field. He sealed the trophy on two seperate plays.

1.) While playing centerfield a ball was hit into deep right field, Tim broke on the ball at about 100 mph and in the process submerged his leg about 3 feet in pure muck. After pulling his foot out his shoe was lost. The price for his hustle...a ground rule double

2.) Again in Centerfield, a ball was hit in shallow right field. Again, Tim broke into a dead sprint and collided with a metal paddle boat, but still made the catch. The price for his hustle = a priceless trophy

2008 Winner = Ryan Skalnek

After putting countless hours into the planning of the tournament as a co-commisioner, Ryan was called to work given less than 24 hours notice. Ryan was forced to miss the first 3/4 of the tournament. When Ryan returned from work he immediately subbed in for a teammate. His multiple homeruns, amazing plays, and dedication to the game lifted his team to a victory. His team was subjected to the mercy rule twice without his presence, but when he returned they played and beat the team that eventually won the tournament. He succeed in lifting his team to a well earned victory. What would of happened if he was here the whole tournament...

2009 = Tim Healy

Without question Tim Healy exertes the most hustle on the wiffleball field. In 2009 there were many plays that could have been voted most hustle but after Timmy dove in the water, field, and even onto the deck, it was without question who this award belongs too.

MVP

rvandenboom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:46:10 CDT

Past winners:

2007 - Jim Vanden Boom

a.) Jim was noted for his excemplary performance in this fall tournament. He hit multiple homeruns and pitched a great tournament. He sealed the MVP trophy with his team winning the championship game.

2008 - Steve Cullen

b.) Steve won this MVP trophy with great all around play. Steve is known to be a clutch hitter in Wiffleball and is not known for his power but his placement of the ball. He sealed his MVP trophy by having the tournament winning hit. Bases loaded, 2 outs, tie ball game, Steve Cullen turned an inside pitch into a basehit off the hot tub window.

c.) Dave Praet won this MVP trophy with superb tournament play in 2009. In 2008 Dave made his first tournament appearance and almost won the title. 2009 he was paired with a powerhouse team and ended up winning the tournament easily in the championship game. Dave is known for his stellar play in the outfield and very powerful bat.

Homerun King

rvandenboom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:40:20 CDT

The homerun King is given to the player that has the power to put the ball over the fence the most times in the tournament. This players either has impressive power or has incredible speed to get around the bases. LOWA did not start keeping this stat until 2009.

Most noted for started the tournament with a 'bang', Rick hit the first pitch of the tournament out of the park. His team played 4 games and he hit 6 homeruns in that stretch. When asked what the key to hitting homeruns was Vanden Boom replied, "It's much easier to score by hitting homeruns than it is to strikeout"

LOWA T-Shirts

rvandenboom — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:39:34 CDT

Here are the new t-shirts that we have in stock. We currently only have 30 shirts and hope to have your size. They are $15 and we would love to have you display this lovely shirt.

Rick VandenBoom

rvandenboom — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:52:11 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Pictures

rvandenboom — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:32:49 CDT

Chris Clayton Award

JimVandenBoom — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:20:06 CDT

Originally called the Strikeout Trophy, this award is for the individual that racks up the most strikeouts throughout the tournament. You might think...this fella is an incredible pitcher. Actually, the trophy is for the person who is batting and strikeouts out the most. To Review... A pitch may not exceed 6.0 mph, is a small plastic ball with holes in it, and you get two strikes.

Past Winners:

2007 = Josh Griffin

Josh and Chris battled this year for the trophy and inevitably Josh won by two strikeouts totaling 9. Over a three game period that is an average of 3 strikeouts a game and Josh could not find his target. Fortunately for the team they placed second in the tournament and were able to hang their heads high.

2008 - Chris Clayton

\
Chris clayton standing front and center

Josh and Chris were also close this year for the first game. Something misterious and incredible happend to Chris the rest of the tournament. He struck out an amazing 24 times!!! That is not a typo folks almost a quarter century in the K zone. Chris managed to connect twice over a two game period and easily took this trophy home. The incredible thing is that his team won the championship! It was immediately decided that the Strikeout Trophy be renamed the Chris Clayton Trophy

Official Rule book

JimVandenBoom — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:24:55 CDT

LOWA’s 2nd Annual Whiffle Ball Classic

The 6 Commandments:

1. NO Girls Allowed (unless cheerleading in bikinis)

2. NO Cell Phones during Game Play

3. NO Lefties (unless wearing bikini top)

4. Intensity is Required

5. Lack of Hustle Will NOT be Tolerated

6. NO SHOES

Rules and Regulations:

1. Miscellaneous Rules:

1-1) All calls may be disputed, but umpires have the final say. In any umpire disagreements the following shall happen: -In the event that the umpires have questions about the rules or an improper call is made because of a misunderstanding of the rules, it will cleared up by Rick, Jim, or Ryan (whoever isn’t playing at the time). If it can not be resolved by this: -A player from each team will be chosen to compete in a best of 3 Rock, Paper, Scissors. The game shall be started with the 2 opponents stating “Rock, Paper, Scissor, SHOOT!” On SHOOT, the players shall make their hand gesture symbolizing their choice. -Rock beats Scissor -Scissor beats Paper -Paper beats Rock

1-2) There shall be 3 outs per inning for teams of four.

1-3) Base-runner interference is ILLEGAL, and if intentional the base-runner is automatically ruled safe at home plate no matter where the interference was located and the base-runners team shall receive a run for their runner being safe at home plate. (yeah, eat shit timmy). If unintentional, as ruled by the umpire, there shall be no punishment to the fielder and no advantage given to the runner.

1-4) Fighting is allowed, but not encouraged, between opposing players. Teammates may join in, but should probably take the opportunity to grab a quick beer.

1-5) If Momma Boom is hit by a hit ball, the batter is automatically out. It is the batters responsibility to call for a time out when Kathy is in play.

2. Batting and Base-Running:

2-1) The batter will have an automatic 0-1 count stepping to the plate, so 2 strikes and the batter is out. There is an unlimited amount of foul balls(NOTE: Rule 3-2A), balls, and hitting the batter counts for nothing.

2-2) Any batter throwing his bat onto the playing field, or otherwise interfering with any play whatsoever shall be ruled out and given a warning. If the same player commits this act twice in one game, the opposing team shall receive a run towards their score.

2-3) A runner may be out by either a force out, getting tagged by a fielder, getting hit by a thrown ball, or otherwise any ball in fair play, given the runner is off of the base. 2-4) Bunting is not allowed, and any ball not hit past the designated field marking shall be ruled a foul ball.

2-5) Leading off is not allowed, the base-runner may only leave the bag when the ball is hit and no sooner. If caught leaving early by the umpire, the runner shall be called out.

2-6) When returning a dead ball to the pitcher the fielder MAY NOT use his bat. He must pick the ball up and throw it back to the pitcher. Each team will get ONE warning per game. Every other time that this is done… it is a called strike. If the batter has one strike already…it is a called out.

3. Fielding

3-1) Any hit fly ball, fair or foul, may be played off the side of the house, any tree, roof, or boat cover and caught in the air for an out. If a ball hits off the top of the hot tub or gets stuck in the outfield shrubbery, it is considered a hit and cannot be caught in the air for an out.

3-2) Any ball hit over the sea wall, onto the sand or otherwise in the water, may be played by the fielders. A fielder may immediately call for the play to be called dead and the following shall be granted to the base-runner:

3-2A) A team is allowed to hit the ball in the water once per inning. Every time after this, a ball hit in the water is a foul ball. 2 foul balls into the water is allowed, on the 3rd foul ball into the water, the batter will be called out

3-2B) The ball is considered a live ball when a defensive player touches the ball ON LAND and the ball goes in the water.

3-3) The foul pole is only for fly balls; 3rd base and the garage door trim are for any ground balls. The trim on the door closest to the hot tub will be considered the foul pole for line drives as well.

3-4) A ball hit over the house and out of play, gets stuck on the house* or in the upstairs deck, hit over the fence or second dock in fair play, is a home run. *If a ball gets stuck in the gutter, it will be ruled a ground rule double*

3-5) The pitcher’s mound will be designated. If a play is made, a fielder may step on the pitchers mount or may throw it to the pitcher who must be on the mound for a force out of the LEAD runner who is not already safe. Ex. So if there is a man on first, a ground ball is hit, ball is fielded and thrown to the pitcher who is on the mound. If the man that was on first is already on second when the pitcher catches the ball, he is safe, and the next possible out would be the force out on the batter running to first. If there is no force out, the batter shall be out given the play is made in time.

3-6) The pitch shall not exceed 6.0mph. If a pitch exceeds 6.0mph, the pitch will be ruled dead and a warning will be issued. Umpires have the final say and a pitching change must be made if this rule is broken 3 times in an inning.

3-7) The hot tub is not to be climbed upon to make any play. A “billiards rule” will be in effect, where as one foot must remain on the ground if making a play over the hot tub. If this rule is broken, the batter will be rewarded a home run, and all base runners on base at the time will score.

ANY QUESTIONABLE CALLS OR RULES OR ANY RULES THAT ARE NOT STATED IN THIS DOCUMENT WILL BE SETTLED BY RICK, RYAN, AND JIM. RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN BETWEEN GAMES, AND ALL PLAYERS WILL BE NOTIFIED. IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE. IF YOU DIDN’T READ OR UNDERSTAND ANY OF THE RULES, THAT IS YOUR FAULT.

NOTICE An entry fee of $25 will be assessed to every player in the tournament. Person in attendance will be asked to pay $10 for the cost of the kegs and food. The price will be divided amongst everyone, and any additional beer or kegs shall be handled in the same manner. No money, no beer, no questions asked.

LOWA Gear

SiddFinch168MPH — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:39:50 CST

Welcome to the LOWA official store. This is the only place on the web where you get Authentic LOWA merchandise!

Wiffleball in the news

rvandenboom — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:28:56 CST

I found this particular article, but do not know the date on it. This definetely goes to show that violence can occur in this most beautiful game. What's a juvenile detective?

"Police responding to a fight at a private school found a 14-year-old student unconscious and unresponsive after another student apparently struck him in the head when they argued while playing whiffle ball.

Chattanooga Police Lt. Kim Noorbergen said Tuesday that juvenile detectives were investigating the Sunday afternoon altercation between the two McCallie School students in the campus gym.

Noorbergen said the student was admitted to a hospital with a serious head injury but his condition was improving.

She said no charges have been filed but detectives were continuing to interview witnesses."

November 2nd, 2008

rvandenboom — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:33:59 CST

It is very true that many people do not understand the underground culture of wiffleball. Our league is not understood by many and does not see how this could possibly benefit the world around us. How does wiffleball connect with the 'real world' problems? How does the LOWA help the community and it's supporters? Well my friends... I have a story that will capture your heart and bring a tear to your eye. This is a true story and I want you to treasure it forever...

On Wednesday, October 29th, 2008, I recieved an email from an unfamiliar person. After reading the article it was someone who had stubbled across the LOWA website and had commented on it using words as 'professional', 'outstanding', 'mature', and 'sexy'. She also commented that she recognized my parents and claimed to be an old neighbor from 23 years ago. After exchanging emails, it was confirmed that Jane Bell of Indiana, was infact an old neighbor of the Vanden Boom's. Since this email, she has reunited contact with my parents and rekindled a lost relationship.

In conclusion, this shows the importance of the LOWA on the community and people that it touches. Without this website ever launching, this relationship may have been lost for life. Now the LOWA has spread to multiple states including, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Alaska. It is our duty as members of the LOWA to spread the word of this organization in hopes of reuniting more lost souls out there.

God speed fellow members...

Rick Vanden Boom (co-commisioner)

October 17th, 2008

rvandenboom — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:45:30 CDT

After watching the Red Sox amazing comeback against the Rays last night it made me of course think of wiffleball. Fenway park is more like our wiffleball field than any other field. Left field of course is just like the house. The green monster is the Vanden Boom residence. It takes a lot of power and a nice swing to put the ball over the house, just like Fenway. Right field fence is about 3 feet tall, just like our right field, the dock. Our house hasn't been standing since 1902, but 2002 it was remodeled! It's an eeery resemblence of the two fields. I couldn't imagine playing the game on any other field.

The Red Sox comeback reminded me so much of the days of playing wiffleball. I can remember many glorious comebacks in history. There was the infamous "Bon Jovi" comeback that Josh and I surmounted 10 runs in one inning to win the game. Last years tournament, my team put up twelve runs in two innings to send the game to OT. Although we lost by five runs in the last inning...still a comeback. Of course the famous championship comeback of last years game, where the champions came back in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game.

Heroics and heart is what the game is all about. They only thing that seperates wiffleball from MLB is the Frank Calendo commercials. Wiffleball is one of the greatest games ever because of these comebacks. Teams can get extremely hot bats in one innning and go completely cold the next. Watching the ALCS game last night brought back such joyous memories of the field. It takes serious heart and determination to surmount a comeback. It does not take heart like Welch's, when you leave in the middle of a tournament because you are losing.

So I encourage you fellow LOWA members to share your fondest comeback memory. Whether it was winning a game in the bottom of the 7th or scoring ten runs in an inning. Please share your comeback memory...

Fondest memories from north....

Rick Vanden Boom
(co-commisioner)

LOWA's WANTED list

rvandenboom — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:10:12 CDT

The LOWA has a limited budge and is always looking to upgrade various aspects of the organization. Here are some of our MOST WANTED items. Please feel free to reply with anyway you can help aquire these items or have any further requests.

Pitching machine

We can make our own with a leaft blower and some PVC pipe

Personal Pitcher...$150 and comes with 48 wiffleballs

Scoreboard

Portable Scoreboard $25

LED Scoreboard
$9,950

Strike Zone

Hilarious video on this product. This could definitly come in handy when Clayton is at bat.
$19.95 plus shipping and handling

Flag

Approximately $40

T-shirts

????

Jim's Wiffle Ball Blog/Diary

JimVandenBoom — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:36:18 CDT

<<< Click on the date to read that days entry

Andy Smith

rvandenboom — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:26:03 CDT

Height: 6'7''
Weight: 150lbs
Throws: R
Bats: R
Drinks: Sir

Andy Smith is tall individual at 6'7''. He has participated in both the '07 and '08 tournaments but has failed to reach the championship game. Andy is noted for his stellar play in centerfield as well as success from the mound. Look for him to throw more from the mound in the '09 tourney.