ESPN has done a Mount Rushmore theme for different sports and for individual U.S. states. I thought why not do it for wiffleball. This article is done for people/leagues that are a part of the NWLA and one can argue that perhaps people not affiliated could make a case.

In terms of wiffleball leagues, what four people have been the most influential?

Let's start with Joe Creighton of WB2K.com. He was the commissioner of one of the first well established wiffleball leagues from 1998-2004. Back in 1998, you had nothing in terms of wiffleball league websites like you do now. He was one of the early pioneers of the game. He did it out west, where leagues are not the norm. His WB2K league's site is now just a shrine of what was. Back in the days, this was the site to check out. It was updated regularly and had content (which was both colorful and informative). Joe really got an outsider an insider view of his league. He gave you glimpses of each member's personality, their strengths and of course their weaknesses. The site had photos, bios, stats and more stats. This is what a wiffleball league should be. Even though the league folded, Joe keeps wiffleball alive by having a Swingin' for Santa wiffleball get together for past wiffleball players. He had for a number of years a webpage weher he and his brother would rank your wiffleball site. Were they candid? . Brutally honest? You bet they were. But, I believe the amount of "crappy" leagues ran its course and the league ranking became a bit of a burden with the sheer number of leagues wanting to be reviewed and the quick turnover rate (yes, wiffleball leagues have a short life). Joe really set the stage of what a good wiffleball website should be.

Next, we have Brian Meyers of KWL. I remember when KWL once came upon the scene in 2006 with four teams. It had solid design and looked promising, but will it last? Well here we are in 2011 and the league has flourished. It is now up to 18 teams, design has maintained and the amount of content has gone through the roof. He has become sort of an ambassador to wiffleball. What many of you don't know is that Brian has extended a helpful hand in helping several wiffleball leagues. Behind the scenes, he has offered to help with web designing to several wiffleball leagues. He is not afraid to be in the spotlight. He has been on the radio preaching wiffleball, has been a strong presence on the NWLA messageboard and will easily chimed in on other wiffleball leagues expressing his love and opinion of the game. On top of that, he may be one of the few people out there that hae a wiffleball tattoo.

The third player to be placed on Mount Wiffmore is Brett Bevelacqua of Palisades. Brett's league is new to the NWLA. In fact, this will be their first year being a part of the NWLA. However, he is not new to the wiffleball community. He has put out a very nice design yearbook for his league (here's the 2010 one). He has put out a wiffleball DVD which has aired on cable, particularly NESN (The home of the Boston Red Sox) called Yard Work. Besides putting out professional media dealing with wiffleball, Brett has run a successful league since 2008. He has also tried to establish leagues in Illinois and in West Virginia. He is passionate about wiffleball and has been a strong presence in wiffleball messageboards at various websites.

Lastly, we have Truck, who many can say is "The Godfather of Wiffleball" because he has inspired many people to start their own wiffleball league. Many wiffleball leagues were inspired by Truck and may not have even had a wiffleball website if not for him. He is also the founding father of wiffleball leagues where he establishes not one but two highly successful wiffleball leagues. Back in the 1990's, he ran HRL: Massachusetts (which is still around today). His site may very well have been the only viewable wiffleball league website then. If you searched wiffleball league, HRL would be on top mof the list. The HRL: Mass had everything you needed: content, teams, profiles and stats. Then in 2004, Truck moved to Minnesota. One would think that was the end. But Truck kept up his love of wiffleball by going to a new region, where I'm assuming he didn't know many people, and started the HRL:Twin Cities from scratch. After getting word out through radio, newspapers, etc that he was starting a wiffleball league in Minnesota, Truck had the basics for starting a wiffleball season and after a few years, the HRL: Twin Cities train was running fast (DVDs. playoffs, content, database). It has grown to 20 teams and has very dedicated players. Truck ran HRL perfectly and just recently stepped down as commish (he continues to play in the league). If it wasn't for Truck paving the way, there may very well not be an influx of wiffleball leagues that we have today. He truely has set the stage for what we see now.

In addition, here are the four players who have been selected for the Mt. Wiffmore for Pitching, Hitting and Fielding.