Wrenway Park ready for annual wiffleball tournament

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

There are many sports venues around the country. Some are big, some are small, some are old, some are new, and some are unique and quite famous – Lambeau Field in Green Bay and Fenway Park in Boston are two that come to mind, but during the third weekend of August, a small venue in extreme southwest Van Wert County takes center stage.

That’s when Wren hosts the Wrenway Park Wiffleball Warehouse Tournament, which transforms the tiny village (estimated population 150) into “The Wiffleball Capital of Ohio.” Each year, 16 teams compete for the coveted and undisputed wiffleball championship.

Appearing on Sunday’s Mayor’s Conference/Commissioners Corner radio program on 99.7FM WKSD/WERT 1220AM/104.3FM, Jack Davis, who serves as commissioner of the annual event, shared some of the history of Wrenway Park and the tournament itself.

The tournament has been held at the same location since it debuted in 1992 but it wasn’t known as Wrenway Park for the first couple of years. However, the tournament quickly took off and the site became what it is today. It features elements from other famous ballparks, including the “Green Monster” from Boston’s Fenway Park, the tall stacks from Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, and a clock modeled after Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

Davis noted the ballpark was designed by Mike Wortman, who decided how the field would be laid out in the available space.

“That’s how it became the shape that it is today,” Davis said. “As you know, a baseball field is a 90-degree angle for second and third (base), but this is more like a 70-degree angle. You just watch the games – everybody that rounds first, they’re going right to the pitcher’s mound – you need to made that wide turn as you round first base.”

Despite its small dimensions at the ballpark – 125 feet to straightaway center field and 122 feet down the left and right field lines – you won’t see a lot of home runs during the tournament.

“It’s really set up that we want people that should hit home runs so they can’t,” Davis explained. “We don’t want this to be a home run derby. We get about 20 home runs a year.”

On the somewhat rare occasion that a batter does indeed hit a home run, a siren that was mounted on a fire truck 50 years ago, goes off.

The tournament attracts media attention and even some delayed television coverage on Lima-based WOSN. With that in mind, ground was broken earlier this summer for a new press box. Construction is now complete and it’s ready to go.

“We used to be on top of a school bus,” Davis quipped. “When it rained it was a problem – we’d get wet and there’s a bunch of electronics up there. We’re really feeling proud of the new press box and we’re thankful to the community and the village.”

The annual tournament features 16 teams that are primarily local – Wren, Convoy, Van Wert and Decatur, Indiana, but Davis said there have been teams that have come from as far away as Chicago to play.

“They thought they were going to come in there and really compete and (instead) they came in and really got it handed to them,” Davis said with a chuckle.

Each year, the field of 16 teams is ultra competitive and Davis acknowledged that over the years, the chase for the championship has become a younger man’s game.

“You need to be young, fast and athletic,” Davis said. “(Years ago), maybe you didn’t have to be quite as young and athletic. We really get the area’s best athletes.”

The equipment used in the tournament is pretty standard – a 40-hole pickleball, which has been used in each of the 34 years, but the bats have changed three times. Davis noted that now-retired Crestview baseball coach Jim Wharton supplied the original equipment.

Davis also credited his brother Jim Davis, who is now deceased, for starting the tournament.

“Our festival is called the Wren Homecoming and at the park they had some kids games like ring toss but there was really nothing for the 16 and older crowd,” he explained. “He said ‘let’s do a wiffleball tournament’ and the rest is history 34 years later.”

This year’s tournament will begin on Friday, August 21, with the ceremonial first pitch scheduled for 5:45 p.m. The first game will start at 6 p.m. and the first game of Saturday, August 22, will begin at 8:30 p.m. Action will continue through the day into the evening, leading up to the championship game.