Canzano: Monday Mailbag includes Wiffleball, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State, Blazers, World Cup, Boise State, and more...

Your questions... my answers.

I’m starting this week’s mailbag with a story. We played Wiffleball a couple of weekends ago in my childhood backyard. My father has constructed a makeshift diamond, complete with a pitching rubber, bases, a “Green Monster” outfield fence, foul poles, and a manual scoreboard.

My two youngest daughters, ages 10 and 12, took turns hitting. Their grandfather pitched for a spell. We introduced the girls to the rule of ‘pitcher’s hand.”

For those who don’t know playground rules, a batter is out when the pitcher, who also serves as the first baseman, has possession of the ball before the batter reaches base. It was an absolute circus, with me attempting to corral a spinning ground ball and flip it to my 79-year-old father as the girls circled the bases, giggling at us.

The girls hit rockets, including a home run that not only cleared the stadium fence, but also the barn and creek behind it. I found the ball on the bank of the creek. It jarred a childhood memory. I recalled looking for Wiffleballs years ago in that spot, occasionally finding the plastic ball floating down the waterway.

Wiffleball was invented in the 1950s in a backyard in Connecticut by a guy named David N. Mullany. He was out of work and cashed in his life insurance policy to keep up with mortgage payments. He was watching his son and a friend play stickball in their backyard. They were using a plastic golf ball and a broomstick handle. In a flash of entrepreneurial brilliance, Mullany dreamed up a plastic baseball with eight perforated holes that would dance in the air when thrown.

He designed it and trademarked it. Then, he took out a second mortgage to make the first production run and sold Wiffleballs for 49 cents out of the back of his station wagon. Woolworth’s later became the first retail store to sell his product.

The Wiffleball enterprise Mullany founded still exists. It operates out of the original two-story factory in Connecticut. It’s run by the grandchildren now. I don’t know when you last played Wiffleball, but I highly recommend revisiting it.

Thanks to all who submitted questions to this week’s mailbag. It means a lot to me that you’re here. The questions were wide-ranging and fun.

Your questions, my answers…