Photo via Big League Wiffle Ball
By Carson Rose | Eagle Eye News
What started as a casual backyard pastime during the pandemic has evolved into the newest professional sport: wiffle ball. This weekend, Big League Wiffle Ball (BLW) will kick off its inaugural season on October 25 at Scottsdale Stadium, featuring ten franchises, celebrity owners, and big-name sponsors, as well as concluding with a Field of Dreams watch party with movie star Kevin Costner (tickets here).
During the summer of 2020, while most teenagers were trapped indoors during lockdowns, Logan Rose decided to create Arizona’s first backyard wiffle ball league. Rose “wanted to provide a source of competition in a time that lacked organized sports.” He invited friends to play, filmed the games, and taught himself how to edit videos for YouTube and Instagram.
The first season featured four teams—Western Wolves, Pacific Panthers, Coastal Cougars, and Desert Diamonds—each with three to five players. After a successful first season, Rose decided to expand the league with two new teams: the Eastern Extreme and Arctic Altitude. The league continued to grow throughout its next four seasons, with players from all over the country flying out to join the game in Logan Rose’s backyard.
While forming the league in 2020, Rose hosted the Western Wiffle Ball Classic, an annual event held each October at Scottsdale Stadium. The tournament has seen great success through its first five years, attracting hundreds of players and fans from across the country. In 2024, Big League Wiffle Ball launched its inaugural national tournament circuit, which commenced in Scottsdale and culminated at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
