Secret of success in PN’s ‘Wiffle Ball Game’ is soft speed and spin

On the final day of 2013 Ribfest, folks at Positively Naperville, the city’s monthly independently-owned publication that previews upcoming happenings, are pleased to post the July 6 results from its “Wiffle Ball Game of Angles.”  For the last four days, the game has been set up across the front of Ribfest Expo Booth No. 47, just south of Martin Avenue.

While the game was created to attract all ages to PN’s Expo booth, the main purpose of the booth is to promote shopping locally. The intention is to remind folks to support local independent businesses whenever possible for what they bring to the culture and distinctive hometown experience of any city. Small businesses are the nation’s leading job creators.

In the spirit of Naperville Nostalgia, PN also showcased “Be One in a Million Cock Robin” t-shirts, Naperville’s popular independently-owned local ice cream enterprise, closed since 2000, that began as Prince Castles back in 1941.

A Cock Robin t-shirt was presented to the individual who hit the highest score each day.

The object of the Wiffle Ball Game, free to play, is for every independent player to pitch wiffle balls toward the easel, banking each shot at an angle so the ball drops into the crate.  To score, the ball must hit the easel first before it falls into the crate. Sounds easy enough.  Looks easy enough. Still, tossing the wiffle ball at just the right speed, spin and angle proved to be a tough task for hundreds of individuals who took a chance to show their skill.

“It’s impossible!” was the resounding cry.

The challenge, however, especially among teens who were able to hit one in the crate, became not a prize, but to hit three in a row. When not successful, teens returned repeatedly to try and try again, putting a different spin or arch on the ball as they banked their shots.

“That’s when we decided to give everyone ‘bragging rights’ who hit three in row,” noted Stephanie Penick, PN’s publisher. “We wrote everyone’s name on the dry erase board with the promise to be mentioned in a Positively Naperville story.  And we took a few photos.”

Players aimed to win again and again, waiting their turn in line to play and to beat their previous score.  Mothers and dads encouraged their youngsters with cheers, waiting patiently when their children became “hooked” at hitting the ball into the crate.

The first individuals every day who topped the score of five also won a Cock Robin Be One in a Million t-shirt. (By the way, many people inquired about purchasing the Cock Robin t-shirts which were available only for game prizes. The shirts can be purchased at Oswald’s Pharmacy and Anderson’s Bookshop as well as online.)

On Saturday, Jim Hoch, a local photographer, hit seven in a row, winning the first Cock Robin t-shirt of the day. Thereafter, every player who hit a higher score than that highest posted also won a Cock Robin t- shirt.

Soon the board was covered with names of a skillful group of men, women and youngsters, a select few of the hundreds who tried the game. The high scorer on Thursday was Jerry Wynn with eight (8), topped on Friday with nine (9) by Nathan Flood. By the end of Saturday, the highest number of wiffle balls banked into the crate in a row had risen to eleven. Yes, 11!  (See introductory story with earlier winners, photos and more.)

Hannah Henthorne was the big winner! Hawthorne came all the way from Ohio with a group of college students who set up a booth next to Positively Naperville to promote tourism in the Buckeye State.

July 6 Success Stories

While tallying hundreds of players of all ages who took shots just for the fun of it (and to see if this publication truly would publish their names), a limited number scored to achieve success.  And what did PN discover while observing players? PN learned hitting the target successfully had little to do with age or sex.  One youngster age 3 hit three in a row!  A 7-year-old girl hit six in a row. Many 50-somethings hit none. Sometimes skill runs in families!

(Click any photo to enlarge. )

Kyle Sudol

James Kendrick

A.J. Vittorini

Jessica Frank

Olivia Patterson

Ankita Aggarwal***

Ethan Logan

 

Thanks for 2013 Ribfest Fun & Games!

Summer Side Walk Sales in downtown Naperville &  Naperville Plaza, July 11-13