This year's Hall of Fame class had an interesting storyline, the voting committee voted in three players in 2017, all with the same name. One of them might be spelled differently, but nobody can deny that these three players are very important to the success of the sport and each have the statistics to back it up.
Congratulations to this year's 2017 Hall of Fame Class. Below is a write up from the person who nominated them:
“Chris Meador is a player unlike any other. He is highly regarded as one of the best wiffleball fielders of his generation, if not ever, but he is also one of the best contact hitters in the history of the sport. What may set him apart even more though is his philosophy behind the sport. He is one of the best minds in the game, one of the best base runners, and an incredible strategist. His numbers speak for themselves. In the SWBL, He is a four-time Champion, four-time all-star, one MVP, four platinum hands awards, and is still the only player in SWBL history to hit for the cycle. On the NWLA level, Chris has been named the National Fielder of the Year three times, most by any player in NWLA history. At the NWLA Tournament, Chris leads off and plays LF for the Cardinals and if averaged out, has more hits per PA than any player in the tournament’s history. Chris also has more total plays and fielding assists than anyone in NWLA history, which cements him as one of the greatest fielders that can change the game for a team in a different way. Chris also plays in many leagues around the country including SWBL, Palisades, OCWA, and the NWLA Tournament.”
-Sam Skibbe
“Kris Morse is an ambassador for the sport of wiffleball. He plays whenever and wherever he can. He is very knowledgeable and is talented in all forms of of the game. He is single-handedly keeping HVWBL alive, and while it might not be what it once was, the league is a treasure in the area. He somehow gets the best talent in New York to travel hours away on weekdays to play. He's a great motivator and an even better commissioner. His wiffle talent isn't to be denied. He is the definition of a 5-tool player. He most recently won the Palisades defensive player of the year, pitched a 1-hit shutout against Ridley Park at the NWLA Tournament in 2017, along with his own unassisted triple play. The guy is ageless and has been a force on the scene for over a dozen years now, and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Above all, he's a great guy. He's highly regarded within the wiffle community as a gentleman on and off the field. Even though his voice isn't heard enough during the off-season, he still chimes in with great written pieces for HVWBL and fills in on the 2WD podcast. He is the definition of the kind of guy we want people looking up to in this sport.”
-Jimmy Cole
“Chris Roeder excels at every aspect of the game. He is a fantastic fielder, who rarely makes an error. He is able to match and sometimes bests Ryan Bush, considered one of the best pitchers we've seen. He went 11 innings against Farkas and only lost because an error was made, and 14 innings against Chris Harley, which to this day are probably the two best NWLA games ever, pitching-wise. He crushes the ball, especially for a lead off batter. Gets on base easily with a career OBA of .454 at the NWLA. He does this all as a lefty at the plate, but he really bats righty in baseball. He was never a switch hitter in any other sport, besides wiffle. Chris has always been a star player and legend in the OCWA, his teams have always been on the top of the NWLA rankings and he is the majority of the reason. He throws flames and hits bombs and he would hold every record in the OCWA if he had played in more seasons.”
-Jon Suhre
Next year, in 2018, the NWLA will have new HOF nomination and voting procedures. More information will be on the way! Have a very happy new year and we will see you in 2018 for another great year of wiffleball!