2022 Hall of Fame Ballot Announced...
It's once again April, and the league committee was summoned together to create the 2022 Huntington Wiffle League Hall of Fame ballot. Last year saw one of the most exciting hall of fame elections since the creation of the institution and remains the only sign of activity while the league remains in its slumber since the conclusion of the 2018 season. While it's not yet known if there will ever be another season, it is clear that another ballot will soon be released to determine who the next potential class will be.
2021 saw much fanfare after the initial ballot announcement with a subsequent podcast episode (that remains one of our most listened to episodes in show history) before the votes were finally cast. Ultimately, Jeremy Ray and Andrew Westcott were named into the 2021 hall of fame class. The podcast episode that followed with the announcement (which featured the return of Greg Sowards as a co-host for the first time in years) was our most listened to episode of all time.
The creation of this ballot may be the toughest ballot yet since the hall was established, which may prove to be an interesting article on its own for another time. Last year we made an exception to have five players on the ballot only because it had been three years since the last ballot was made and class elected. This year it was agreed that there would be a return to form for the initial rules, where only four players would be permitted to make the ballot. For those interested, the rules for ballot creation are available but for those with literally anything else better to do - allow me to summarize...
Each year in March, the league rules committee select four players (who've participated in a minimum of two seasons) to be placed on the ballot. The players on that committee and all members who've been inducted into the hall of fame get a vote on the finished ballot of who will make it into the hall of fame. The top two vote getters on the ballot get to stride into the hallowed hall. Pretty simple stuff. But enough chin wagging, lets get into the players that made this year's ballot!
Ryan Pritt was a favorite on last year's ballot and it's small wonder why that was the case. With numbers like his, he's a man bound for the hall eventually but will this year be it? What can I say that I didn't mention last year? Pritt's career quietly began in the blighted 2013 Charleston Wiffle League fall ball... experiment. He quickly stood out as an elite hitter and a balanced pitcher. He spent that off-season building what would become the #1 nationally ranked Breaking Balls squad and the rest is history. Pritt made his reputation captaining the aforementioned team until the end of the 2015 season prior to aiding Sit On My Base in 2016. He was drafted as a part-time player in the 2017 player draft for Wiffle Hit Wonders but was unable to play which was led to an untimely end to his career. But he is a two-time champion (2015 with Breaking Balls & 2016 with Sit On My Base) with phenomenal hitting statistics (.515 / 61 HR / 124 RBI / .589 OBP / 1.336 SLG) that should impress any voter.
Anthony Stidham was indeed on the ballot last year and there are many reasons why he deserves to be that I dug into in last year's article. But the ballot last year was really cut throat and was a tough draw for Stidham. So for anyone thinking "Oh, this must be the prestige or contributor guy." GTFO! No. Get up. Open the door and get all the way out. Look at these career stats: .435 / 80 HR / 104 RBI / .497 OBP / 1.339 SLG - so yeah, I'm going to need you to go ahead and shut up. He's played in every era, fast pitch in 2015, slow pitch in 2016, both versions in 2017 and medium pitch in 2018. He impressed us all with his lesser known pitching abilities at the 2016 NWLA Regional Qualifier and has the best bat flip in the league. Yes, he was a contributor to the league who did the thankless job of toting the equipment around and also a podcast host, columnist and many other things. But make no mistake, the man had some game between the lines as well.
Brice Clark was a name that many people probably didn't expect to see on the ballot last year. Some of the league veterans were likely hoping to see more familiar names from earlier seasons rather than a player still very much active and making a name for himself on the national tournament circuit. To deny the talent that Brice Clark put on display in the HWL from 2016 through 2018 would be criminal. And to ignore his impact as a leader and influence within the league itself during his career would be ludicrous. He's quite possibly one of the best wiffleball players to come out of the state of WV. Period. How could he not be in this discussion, let alone on this ballot again? He's one of the best hitters in league history (if not the best) with a .680 career batting average, 55 HR, 86 RBI, .709 OBP & 1.646 SLG and being captain of one of the most prolific franchises to ever come to the league (the Mothmen), it's not a matter of if Brice Clark will make the HWL Hall of Fame but when...
Tyler Roush hits bombs. That's normally all there is to say about Tyler Roush. He doesn't say much on or off the field. But truth be told, he's a major ingredient to the success that the Mothmen had in the HWL. You could actually revise my first sentence to say 'Tyler Roush wins games' due to all the run support that he provides. He is simply a home run hitting machine. I just don't have a more eloquent way to say it. He hit 69 HRs in only 187 career ABs (.647 / 69 HR / 124 RBI / .665 OBP / 1.313 SLG). His offensive onslaught that he laid on opponents earned him the triple crown in 2017 and that is what sets him apart from other talented hitters as he's the only one who's managed to achieve such an accomplishment. He also made jaws drop at a Hallowiffle HR Derby and played a role in finally getting the HWL back into the national tournament. So much raw talent housed in one player and he's knocking at the door of the hall but will the voters let the quiet roadhouse hitter in?
So there you have it! We don't know who yet, but two of these guys are going to be elected as the fourth class of the league hall of fame and I couldn't be more excited about it. Each one of them have had storied careers full of accolades and intrigue. I look forward to hosting a podcast episode soon where I hope to interview some or all of them to catch up. The ballots will be sent out to the voters soon and we will know who will be the newest faces that will be gracing that virtual hall by the end of April. Stay tuned.
But if you want to make your voice heard, you can vote at our fan poll HERE to let us know who you think should make it into the Hall of Fame this year!
