If You Build It, They Will Come (Play Wiffleball)

Four friends, Alec DiFruscia, Matt Hanson, Sam Canelas, and Ryan Finneral, have built a miniature Fenway Park of sorts in DiFruscia’s back yard at 337 Kendall Road.

Plywood walls painted “Green Monstah” green are set on the lawn, and adorned with what the boys describe as every sign they could get their hands on.

They don’t plan on letting mini-Fenway Park go to waste.

The four are hosting a 32-hour wiffleball game in DiFruscia’s back yard to raise money for the Jimmy Fund, as well as break the record for the longest recorded wiffleball game, currently set at 30 hours.

DiFruscia said he Googled the longest wiffleball game and found out the record was held by kids from Minnesota.

“So I thought, we can beat that, why not?” he said. “We’ve been playing wiffleball forever.”

The quartet abandoned playing baseball almost ten years ago when it became too high-impact on the DiFruscia family home.

“We were told we couldn’t play baseball anymore because we cracked up all the siding,” said DiFruscia. “We broke a couple windows.”

While most games last for nine innings, the boys plan to continue well beyond that mark, probably past 200 innings in the 32 hour span.

“That’s probably what we’ll do, if not more,” said DiFruscia.

The 32-hour game will be played regardless of weather condition. Heat, rain, snow  (though not likely) — the boys say bring it on. Weather is not something that will deter them.

“We’ve played in all sorts of weather conditions,” said Hanson.

“It tough to reschedule something like this,” said DiFruscia. “People are clearing 32 hours of their weekend.”

They had initially planned on a 31 hour-game, but changed it to 32 so that they could break the game into 4-hour shifts. The teams will be five on five and friends will take one or several 4-hour shifts, while DiFruscia and Hanson are trying to make it the full 32.

“It’s tough to play 32 hours,” said DiFruscia. “Matt and myself will try to.”

“I feel that by the 20^th hour I’m going to be exhausted, but it’s going to be adrenaline for the final 12,” said Hanson. “I think if ... I have enough water and food throughout the thing I can probably do it.”

For those that just can’t find the energy to pull the all-nighter, tents and sleeping bags will be provided to catch a wink or two. Food and drinks will be available to every participant.

The event costs $25 per person to participate. DiFruscia estimates that a good percentage of the proceeds will go to food supplies, simply because of the number of meals that are required in a 32-hour period. After the expenses of the event are covered, the remaining funds are slated to go the Jimmy Fund.

The group decided upon the Jimmy Fund, not just because it’s a very worthy cause, but also because of their close association with the Red Sox, a team loved by all four.

"We love baseball, we just love sports in general," said DiFruscia.

So far, DiFruscia and friends have raised almost $700—they are hoping for close to $1000, and expect 25-30 participants. The event starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday at 337 Kendal Road, and will continue until 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Even though they are trying to break a world record for the longest wiffleball game, it will have to stand as an unofficial standard. After contacting Guinness World Records, DiFruscia determined that there were too many rules to authenticate the record, at least for this year.

“It’s this thick,” Hanson said, holding his fingers an half-inch or so apart to indicate the thickness of the Guinness authentication rule book,

Among the Guinness rules, the event must be filmed and documented throughout, and the record breaking must take place in a public place, according to DiFruscia.

“That’s one of the reasons why we didn’t go through Guinness,” said DiFruscia of the event being held in his back yard. “I couldn’t have it back here.”

If the game goes well, residents could see a wiffleball marathon next year too.

“I’m trying to make this an annual thing,” said DiFruscia.

For more information, or to reserve a place in the game, call 978-758-3696 or email afruscia@verizon.net