* 2005 American Division All Star
On August 7th, 2005, under sunny skies Chris DiCesare walloped
home run number 1,000. Chris 'Fluke' Coddington had
predicted back in 2000 that DiCesare was a man who had all
the tools to reach such a plateau. The familiar arc over the rightfield fence indicated
the time had come. DiCesare celebrated. It had taken him 152 games, spanning some 11 years ... but when it happened the game
came to a stop. Pitcher Sean Lewis, in a show of sportsmanship, dated and signed the ball and gave it to DiCesare.
With his powerful uppercut swing, the lefty slugger continues
to re-write the record books. A player who seems to manage the impossible, Chris walloped a record 171 home runs in just 440
at bats last season. That's a longball every 2.57 at bats.
After helping to set up the league back in 1988, Chris quickly adjusted to the
game's top pitchers. And by 1996 - the year the league moved from Long Island to Maybrook - Chris had won 9 consecutive home
run crowns. So the golden boy of wiffleball, who packed uncanny power into a comparitively small frame, quickly became the
public face of the ever-expanding league. He embraced the opportunity, wanting to show everybody what he was made of.
So much so that he earned the nickname Bucky after taking several of his at bats in the buff. Chris has also been a starter
in every All Star game since it's inception in back in 1997, and has won five home run derbies. His is typically the
first name that comes to mind when people - players and fans alike - speak of the league.
Seventeen home run titles later, Chris is no longer a youthful rookie. And it's
quite likely that his best years might soon be behind him. But until he hangs up his Mighty KC hat for good, the Wombat Wiffleball
League will enjoy every electric swing ... hoping to see home run number 1,500 sail over the rightfield wall on some warm
summer's day.
