PLAYER INTERVIEWS
Wiffman from Niff
Alex Unger from CF Sun Devils_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT THE NIFF?
The Wiffman tells all about one of New York's BestBy Bill Owens
Back in early Spring I had a chance to talk with Rob Piervinanzi. You probably are wondering "WHO??" Aka Wiffman. He plays hardnosed Wiffleball and seems to always be fighting to keep his team driving towards championships. For the last three seasons Niff has made a huge impact at the NCT by playing some of the most memorable games. I wanted to ask Wiffman some questions to find out what exactly drives NIFF to play in the balls-to-the wall style. Here is what he told me.
--- Tell me about your team, as though nobody has ever heard of NIFF. Who are you guys, where are you from...?
We're three best friends that have known each other since 5th grade (11 years old). We're all from New Hyde Park, Long Island and went to Herricks High School. Our names are very interesting. Even before Wiffleball was in our lives, we always thought Dan's (Neif dad's) stomach looked like a huge Wiffleball, and we called him Mr. Wiffman. Then we realized that he and I were born on the same day so I said
"Am I the Wiffman?"
So I became Wiffman. Dan Ennis is Neif. Neif never knew a lot about baseball so in 10th grade when we had a fantasy baseball league online he drafted Neife Perez of the Colorado Rockies in like the 3rd round. I immediately called him and said,
"Dan why the hell did u draft Neif?"
Dan said,
"Because I think it's a really funny name."
I then said,
"Well he sucks so you might as well be Neif."
He said that's fine,
"I'm Neif"
Gongman (Zack) got his name simply because he was the only one who pitched for us back when we started. I never pitched because I played Division 1 baseball in college and never wanted to risk injuring my arm. So he became the Gongman. (He was really good till he blew out his arm)
--- What was your first tournament and how did you fare?
We'll never forget this story. WE heard about a tournament in Malverne Long Island on the radio and thought it was a joke. So we went to it and went 4-0 in the prelims, won our first playoff game then lost to bunch of old guys in the semis who we later found out was the best team in the history of that league........Doom we lost 2-0
--- Do you have a favorite FP moment and if so what? (Maybe that Nads game???)
The Nads game was definitely the best FP moment, but the best for me was when Gongman and I drove up to Mass for a wiffle up tournament just to play Doom in the finals, because they had beat us in a wiffle up final a week prior, after being down 8-0 in the 4th...and they won 11-8..We were so mad so the next weekend me and G-man went up to Mass and beat them in the championship 3-2..Got our revenge...it was a great moment to finally beat them after all that time.
--- Why do you play with Niffman and Gongman? It seems like you guys have a bond that's deeper than just playing wiffle...
Well Niffman hasn't been on the team for 3 years now, but Neif is pretty good haha. Yeah were really close and we don't wanna let each other down so we play wiff to its extreme. We feed off each other and it makes us better. They're the best two guys to be around when it comes to playing wiffle.
--- Tell us about your goals, what do you hope to accomplish in FP and how do you plan to orchestrate?
Well we plan on making the Final Four this year and taking it from there. After that it's a crap shoot anyone can win. We feel very confident now that we have 2 very good pitchers that have joined our staff (aka me haha). We plan to use them in all prelims and some early playoff games; I hope to take it from there. But we all know you can pitch a no hitter in the NCT and still lose...like I said a crapshoot
--- Favorite opponent or rival?
Doom has to be our favorite rival just because were 1-6 lifetime against them all great games just they win. The former NY Knights were also a very good rivalry. Swingers, Yahtzee, Screwballs are up there definitely.
--- If you could replay one out, inning, play, or game which would that be?
Gotta be Neif's dropped pop up against GSW in the 2007 NCT, can't stop thinking what COULDA happened, if anything. One game I would like back would be that Lights Out game in 2005 our first NCT. First round of the playoffs and Nicky T and I go 9 innings 0-0 ...2 outs I get a ground ball and throw the ball into the ground before the back stop...a walk and a double followed that...lost 2-0 would love that ground ball back.
--- Who is your most hated team?
Wiffman's answer was a solemn one. He says it's hard to play against any team staffed with Ryan Wood. No hard feelings.
--- Niff plays with "emotions on the sleeve", more than others. You guys have stolen the title of most boisterous from the Gunners of LA. Why do you play that way?
Like I said we feed off each others energy. I go they go, and vice versa. I never really looked at it like that we just have a lot of competiveness in us and don't want to do bad individually to let our "friends" and teammates down. Our energy keeps us going. Like in Florida, when I saw how badly we wanted that tournament, I knew I had to step it up, adrenaline just took off and my boys behind me made perform.
--- How do you stay competitive?
I work out 3-5 times a week; mostly my right arm and I throw against a gong (strike zone) 2-3 times a week. Gongman sits on his fat ass and eats, while Neif relives 2006 walk off on You Tube. But seriously, G-man and I play a lot during the week
--- Predictions for '08?
I think this year could be the year off the Niff. We are shooting for a title this year. I think if the 603 Allstars stay in it they will compete for it as well, along with GSW, and the Phenoms.
--- Can we expect anything new from you and Niff?
Besides for Neif switching from heavy beer to Coors Light, our two new additions will definitely help us out, especially me.
--- And finally, give me a bio on yourself... full name, age, hobbies, job, all the good stuff...
Rob Piervinanzi, age 22, I live in Westchester, NY in my apartment and work as a coach for little kids at elementary schools, while finishing up school at Purchase College, journalism major, I obviously love wiff, snowboarding, Jets, Yankees... Other then being a professional wiff player I write articles for the Long Island Press and plan on being a sports journalist.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
by Doug HowardI recently sat down, via email, with Alex Unger of the CF Sun Devils. Alex is one of the best young pitchers to ever come out of Florida, and his team is one of the best new teams in the country. In their first full season, the Sun Devils are well on their way to qualifying for their first NCT and have made quite a splash in the Florida and Georgia regions.
The Sun Devils are Alex Unger (19), Michael DeLuca (19), Daniel Poe (18), and Jacob Bowles (18). They went to high school together at East Ridge High in Clermont, FL where they all, except Michael, played baseball.
--- How did you hear about Fast Plastic?
We just googled wiffleball and that led us to the Fast Plastic website.
--- What did you expect when you started playing?
Impossible pitchers and unbelievable pitches.
--- Was that because you saw videos of FP players on the FP site or somewhere else on the internet, like YouTube?
The videos we did watch were from YouTube. Thats when we thought we were a little head over heels.
--- Do you or any of your teammates play any other sports competitively?
Yes, Xtreme Wiffleball and flag football.
--- What's Xtreme wiffleball?
Xtreme wiffleball is the style of wiffleball that we played before Fast Plastic. In Xtreme wiffleball you run bases, have baserunners, no less than 4 players on a team including a catcher, no stealing, pitcher poison, 3 outs an inning, 6 inning games, MLB scoring, 2 walks equals 1 walk (MLB style), 2 hit by pitches equals 1 hit by pitch (MLB style), peg the runner, throw at the base on only force out, and use only yellow wiffleball authentic bats.
--- How long do you plan on playing competitive wiffleball?
Fifty years or until my arm falls off, whatever comes first.
--- How often do you play wiffleball outside of Fast Plastic tournaments?
Five times a week.
--- How is your arm holding up?
It's great. Never better.
--- Who is the best team you have played so far?
FinDaddy's
--- Who do you look forward to playing at Nationals this year?
Whoever is the best.
--- Who's the best pitcher you have faced?
Alex (Fernandez) from FinDaddy's, Scott (Bragg) from EC Wifflebrawlers, and Doug (Howard) from Run Factory.
--- Who's the best hitter you have faced?
Best hitter that I've faced, hitting me wise, is Doug from Run Factory.
--- Who is the Sun Devil's best hitter?
Michael DeLuca
--- I notice Michael is the only one who didn't play high school baseball, but you say he is your best hitter. Why didn't he play high school baseball? Was he like some wifflers who were just too small to compete against the bigger guys in baseball? Or is he just a freak who can hit a wiffleball but not a baseball?
Micheal DeLuca has a bizarre story on why he didn't play high school baseball. His freshman year, DeLuca was only 5'1". Right there he had no chance, especially with the type of coach we had. So throughout his whole freshman year, he worked out. He became faster, stronger, and bigger. Now when tryouts come around for baseball, DeLuca was stoked. He had a great chance of making junior varsity. The day before tryouts, he got bronchitis and had to miss the first day of tryouts. On the second day, he felt alot better and came down to the field, but you're not allowed to tryout if you miss the first day. So in his sophmore year, he gets screwed over. Again, DeLuca doesn't give up and he just keeps working out knowing that his junior year is his last chance to make junior varsity baseball. He attended every day of tryouts. He played the best baseball he had ever played in his life, making great plays in the field and stroking the ball in batting practice. DeLuca was the fourth person to get cut. He was so confused, he asked the coach why he got cut, and the coach said that they don't allow juniors on junior varsity. His career stopped there, or so he thought.
Senior year, I was driving with the head coach to a college in North Georgia for a recruiting session. On the way home, the coach asked what DeLuca was doing this year. I told him that he only works and then comes down to watch us play. Coach said "well I need a bullpen catcher and I would like Mike DeLuca to take the job. Do you think he will take it"? I said there's no doubt he will take it. So I called DeLuca up right there on the spot and put him on speaker. I asked him if he wanted to be the varsity bullpen catcher and he went crazy. He was screaming and yelling for joy and said hell yeah i'll take the position. But a week later I find out that he couldn't be the bullpen catcher because of his girlfriend. He tells me that was the biggest mistake of his whole life and he regrets it every single day.
All of us on the team have crazy stories from why Jacob Bowles got cut his junior year even though he played junior varsity his freshman and sophmore year, to Daniel Poe and his perfect two seasons on junior varsity but then not getting any playing time on varsity, to me almost getting arrested every year and being the first ever East Ridge Knight to play varsity all 4 years.