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Bob
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Greg Warren
Track their spending and saving while kids.
Bob
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Christopher
Welcome back. It's another Bob and Tom Extra. This is Christopher. Not only is the Bob and Tom show live every weekday morning, but every afternoon we'll give you a little extra. In case you missed anything on today's.
Greg Warren
Big show, Greg Warren with the Warren.
Christopher
Report today about Wiffle Ball. It's coming up in just a minute.
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Bob
I feel a little embarrassed writing you about this, but here goes anyways. I don't have a lot down there, if you know what I mean. I'm 18 years old and could tell the first day we showered in gym I wasn't like the other boys. What hope is there for me with only a pinky's worth of pork? Signed Hopeless in Huntsville. Well, first off, man, I gotta admit, it took a lot of balls to write that letter to my face. I swear to God it did. I mean, ain't everybody gonna have the gift of girth like I do? We can only go to bat with what God gave us. It sounds to me like you need to learn the bunt sign. Anyways, my point is, there's still a purpose for your pork, but it's up to you to find the right game plan. First off, man, most women don't even know the difference unless they've been around a block a bunch. And I've been with a few of them girls. I've been with some girls that have tried on more pork swords and shoes. And some can be cruel. I remember Angel Skinner telling one ex boyfriend that it felt like someone was picking her nose down there. I swear to God she did. He's still in counseling. Talk like that can cripple a man. First off, man, if a girl starts doubting what you got downstairs, just tell her the less it weighs, the longer it stays. And who cares if you ain't packing like everybody else? Embrace it. Stand up, speak up and be incontinent about it. Be like, hey, baby, I'm like them little candy bars at Halloween. I'm fun sized.
Greg Warren
I swear to God. You should.
Bob
Hell, I've known a lot of guys that bowled 300 games without using 16 pound balls. My point is, you got other aspects to your game you can talk up. I had a lot of friends I wrestled with that bragged about having big guns. But then word got out they had quick triggers. So which is worse? Secondly, shave the shrubs or lube the pubes? Because hair hides inches. Everybody knows it. If you don't want to cut them, at least wet them down. I'm just saying, if it looks like the perm on Richard Simmons, you're carrying way too much cover. And look at it this way. Not everybody can bench press the same. Not everybody runs the same speed.
Greg Warren
Not.
Bob
Not everybody gets the same grades. And defensive driving, that's life. So start looking at your upside. Tell her you got some staying power. Tell her your double digits at least in the metric system. Or tell her, hey, baby, at least I got fat fingers. Either way, you have options. Hopeless. I swear to God you do. I gotta go.
Greg Warren
It's our way of making sure you haven't missed anything.
Edwin McCain
This is Bob and Tom, Extra and Tom.
Christopher
We have a special guest joining us in the studio. He's a singer, he's a songwriter. He is Edwin McCain. He's hanging out with us. We'll talk with Edwin momentarily. Right now we're going to switch to the satellite where we have one of the stars of Nateland on YouTube. It's the great comedian Greg Warren, whose new special on YouTube on Nateland is called the Champ. Hello, Greg.
Greg Warren
Hey, Tom. Hey, guys. How's everybody doing?
Josh
Well, great. Congratulations on a terrific new special.
Greg Warren
Thanks, buddy.
Christopher
Are you home?
Greg Warren
No, no, that's a hotel room. Okay.
Christopher
Because I, I was going to say, I see a towel hanging from the.
Greg Warren
The door. Oh, yeah.
Christopher
It looks like a hotel room there.
Greg Warren
That is straightened up a little more. I'm going to Hilton Garden in the.
Edwin McCain
Most giant headboard I've ever seen on a bed. Or maybe it's the.
Greg Warren
I think it's. No, you're right, it is. It's a giant headboard. I asked for those.
Edwin McCain
The angle. All right, well, you, you, they certainly came through for you.
Greg Warren
I think you need some more bottles of water too, Mike.
Josh
You know I'm happy to see it, Greg. You got to stay hydrated.
Greg Warren
Thanks, Josh. I don't know if you noticed, Christy, those are predominantly Evian. Yeah, they are.
Edwin McCain
That's right.
Greg Warren
Now that you got that special, you're all. That's Nateland money right there, guys.
Edwin McCain
By the way, you owe me 20 bucks, pal. Okay.
Greg Warren
Is that for your joke in my special?
Edwin McCain
No, it's just in general, like 20 years ago.
Greg Warren
Okay.
Edwin McCain
Loaned you 20 bucks.
Greg Warren
Oh, yeah, yeah, sorry.
Edwin McCain
I saw some video of you over the weekend at some sort of wrestling. You were standing in front of two naked men wrestling and portrayed in granite. Is that right? Am I close to what you were looking at?
Greg Warren
That was from earlier this past month. I was. That was at the Louvre, chick. It's a famous wrestling statue. And I, I g, I broke down the technique of this statue.
Edwin McCain
He said, this is the way I used to do this. Yeah, it's far more effective. He kept saying, yeah, yeah.
Greg Warren
The guy was working a move called the guillot, which. It's France, so it's fitting. It's a bit of a high school move, chick, if you, if you want to know. Oh, goodness. Yeah, it's more, it's not really a college.
Christopher
Is it legal?
Greg Warren
Oh, yeah, it's legal, yeah. Yeah. I mean, but I mean, you're not going to get in it in college. You know, it's a high school.
Christopher
I have a question. There's of course the famous illegal full nelson and then the half nelson. Was there someone named Nelson that developed that?
Greg Warren
You know, I don't, I don't know that. That's a great question.
Christopher
I would think with your years of wrestling in high school and college and a state champion, etc, etc, you would have found that out.
Greg Warren
Yeah, a two time state champion, I do want to point out, but.
Edwin McCain
Two timer. I call him a two timer, Tom.
Josh
Yeah, the deuce and you're not even.
Edwin McCain
Allowed to mention anything about a state championship unless it's a two timer.
Christopher
Okay, I see.
Greg Warren
Yeah. Yeah.
Christopher
Well, maybe one day.
Greg Warren
Typically, you're talking to me like I'm a one timer and. Yeah, that's disrespectful.
Edwin McCain
He's one timing you, man.
Christopher
We should explain to Ed. And on this show, Greg will do a deep dive into an unusual topic. Say peanut butter. And he'll go deep. Perhaps you should go deep on the names of wrestling moves.
Greg Warren
I could do that. I could do that.
Christopher
Are there any others that we would have heard of?
Edwin McCain
Oh, that's it.
Greg Warren
Oh, I mean, they vary regionally, Tom. I mean, you know, say like a cow catcher. That's. That's a different move in certain parts of the country. Oh, yeah, some people. Yeah.
Christopher
That sounds like a sex move.
Greg Warren
Or the rusty gate. Oh, wait, no, that's lacrosse. I don't think Ed, when I know, you know, you're a rock star. You guys have different experiences on the road than comedians do. Our. Our hotel rooms are cleaner. I don't know all these sex moves. You know all these sex moves.
Christopher
Now, have you chosen a topic to go do a deep dive in today?
Greg Warren
I did, Tom. I wanted to discuss today the history of wiffle ball.
Edwin McCain
I love Wiffle ball.
Josh
I'm with you, chick. One of my all time favorite activities.
Greg Warren
So do I. So do I, guys. And you have David Mulany to thank for that. A former semi pro pitcher. A lot of those old guys will say, like, I was a semi pro, which I. What is. Were you in the minor leagues or not? It just sounds a little bit phony to me. But this guy, Mr. Gertner, he was my neighbor when I was growing up and he said he played semi pro baseball. He said. He said he also played semi pro tennis, semi pro basketball, and semi pro hockey. So it's one of those things, like, the more he said, the less I believed him. He also had a. He was a good guy, but he had a lot of advice. My friend Ted Ruger and I, one time my dad told us to cut the lawn, and we thought it'd be funny to carve a curse word into the lawn.
Josh
That is funny.
Greg Warren
And Mr. Gner came by and he's like, you guys are. You're cutting the wrong. All along, all wrong. You got to go. He didn't understand what we were doing. He's like, you go in rows. You don't go in this running around. You're like, he didn't see the swear word. That we had.
Josh
What did it start with?
Greg Warren
F.
Josh
You really went all out perfect.
Greg Warren
Yeah, we were idiots.
Edwin McCain
So once you got the lawn mode, is that where you played wiffle ball?
Greg Warren
We did play some wiffle back there. Checking those. They got pretty. And thanks for that transition, buddy. Guys are professional. Yeah, we played quite a bit of wiffle ball, and it got very emotional. It's a very emotional game. Oh, yeah, it is, man.
Josh
Ties and lows.
Edwin McCain
Did you have the. The lawn chair as the umpire? Right.
Greg Warren
Yeah. It's the strike zone. Yeah.
Edwin McCain
Yeah, right.
Greg Warren
No, we didn't think of that. But that's a good idea. We hired an umpire at one point. Rob Wetzel had to come down an umpire for us. Yeah, we paid him, like, $3.
Edwin McCain
Yeah, Robbie needs.
Greg Warren
Hey. Quit in the fourth inning. We got yelled at way too much.
Josh
Come on, Wetzel.
Greg Warren
Yeah, it was. It was invented. Patented. In 1957, David had. He had a son, and his son was out playing. He was playing ball. They had a broomstick and a plastic golf ball, and they were also trying to throw a curveball. And David, as a supposed semi pro pitcher, knew that when kids throw a curveball, that's the easiest way to hurt your arm. So he was like, I'm gonna try to find a ball that will curve easily. He was also out of work at the time, and he had a buddy. This is. This is crazy. He had a buddy that worked at the Colt Firearms Company. Now, Colt Firearms, when they weren't making guns, they were making packages for Cody Perfume. You want to talk about diversification? Yeah, they. They were making packages, and. And he. He. The package was like a ball. It was like a white plastic ball that they put the perfume in. So he's got his buddy to give him a bunch of these packages.
Josh
Weird.
Greg Warren
Luckily, his buddy, for all of us, was not a bricklayer. Yeah. So he started fooling around with making a wiffle ball, and. And that's how he made the wiffle ball. Now, when they are manufactured, there's two halves, guys. You have the half with the holes in it.
Bob
Right.
Greg Warren
And the. The half without the holes in it, and they fuse them together. I suspect there's quite a bit of rivalry between those two sides of the business.
Christopher
Over there at Wiffle Ball, where'd the name come from?
Greg Warren
Well, from whiffing. You know, striking out. Whiffing, or.
Edwin McCain
You don't want to go up, up there and whiff, Tom. Yeah, I see. That's true.
Josh
So do you think the guys who make the half, the solid half, have some kind of Beef with the Swiss cheese half.
Greg Warren
Well, I think it's the other way around, Josh. The other guys are doing a lot more work. Those guys are like, yeah, you. Well, yeah, you're over there on non whole side. You guys knocking off at noon every day, and you're getting paid the same.
Edwin McCain
Getting paid the same, you know, they'd make.
Greg Warren
Or maybe it's a situation of like, hey, man, you know, you're doing good work over here. I like what I see. You keep it up, we're going to put you on holes.
Christopher
What else have we got?
Greg Warren
Well, Tom, our boy, David Mulaney sold these things out of his car. At first.
Josh
Was it just the balls or did he have something to do with the bat as well?
Greg Warren
Just the balls at first, Josh. The bat came like three years later.
Josh
Okay.
Edwin McCain
Yeah, there was there a lot of people going, boy, I wish I had something to hit this ball with.
Josh
So they were mostly stickball, I guess.
Edwin McCain
Yeah.
Greg Warren
Stick. Probably stick. Or maybe even just maybe they played it with a wooden bat. Really?
Josh
Yeah.
Greg Warren
Josh, I know you said you enjoyed Wiffle Ball, but you were in the sporting equipment business for a while. Did you guys look down on Wiffle Ball, or did you see them as a competitor over at Rawlings or.
Josh
We didn't. We saw Wiffle Ball as a gateway to using Rawling's product. So we see. We encouraged. We encouraged Wiffle Ball so that eventually, you know, those interested in baseball and stuff would start.
Greg Warren
Encouraged. So, like, financially encouraged, is that what you're saying? Hey, hey, hey.
Josh
Look. Some of us may have been. Not everything was on the level.
Edwin McCain
The money change hands at any point between.
Josh
Well, we don't like to say that. We like to say favors were done.
Greg Warren
I'm just gonna leave this right here. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Christopher
Now, is. Is there a. An off brand Wiffle Ball or does Wiffle have a patent that's still out there.
Greg Warren
Awful Ball is not a very good product. What's right there in the name? No, I'm not. I don't know. I would imagine there is. Yeah.
Edwin McCain
Well, you know that plastic bat and ball. The ball is solid plastic. I mean, it's hollow inside, but there's no holes on it.
Greg Warren
Yeah, that I don't. I never played with that, though. That seemed like. That's not. You can't curve it.
Edwin McCain
No, but you could.
Josh
You could crush it.
Edwin McCain
Yeah, yeah. It would go a long way.
Josh
Especially one of those giant big red bats.
Greg Warren
Oh, the big red bats. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Edwin McCain
That are comically large.
Christopher
The torpedo band of the plastic.
Edwin McCain
They Make a good noise.
Greg Warren
I just heard the sound in my head. Yes, I heard it. Yeah. Josh is a guy with brothers. If you were in the pool and you got hit in the back with wiffle bat, which one hurt more, the big red one or the yellow one? The yellow. Yellow. Yeah, it did. It did. It did.
Josh
Hurt more.
Greg Warren
It's not gonna hit the ball farther, but it hurt more when it hit your back. Yeah. Yeah. They sold these things out of. He'd sold them out of the trunk of his car. Which. Man. We've been through a lot of these reports and men, they were selling a lot of stuff out of the trunks of cars back then. They sure were. And it seems right, like you don't need to. It's. You just say you sold it out of the car. We didn't think you were selling it out of the hood. I don't like where this is going. I got a trunk load of my albums out there. What's the problem? I'll take one. Edwin. I'm a big fan, Josh. Pick me up one of those. I'll reimburse you. I'm a big fan, Ed. I. I'd love to have one. If he could sign it, that'd be great. What's. What's sold out of the trunk of the car today, guys, besides Edward McCain albums?
Christopher
Oh, I usually stolen TV sets, but you open up the box and it's full of bricks.
Edwin McCain
You know what, though?
Greg Warren
They.
Edwin McCain
They tend to be a little bit more organized now. They'll take over like a corner of a. Of a busy street, and there'll be, you know, blankets and all sorts of.
Christopher
Tide detergent is a big one.
Edwin McCain
Oh, yeah, that's right.
Greg Warren
It's a Procter and Gamble product. I'm gonna have to look into that. That's fine product.
Josh
Yeah. But there is some black market time.
Edwin McCain
Do you still, to this day, Greg, wash your clothes and tide.
Greg Warren
I do, I do.
Josh
Of course you do. It's too damn cold to wash them out. Tide.
Greg Warren
You hear that joke?
Christopher
That joke is celebrating his high school graduation.
Greg Warren
Man, I was hoping you guys were gonna let that entertainment that, that, that. That deserved a little more silence than it got. No way.
Josh
That's one of the greats.
Bob
Greg.
Christopher
Is it considered uncool to use a mitt while playing wiffle ball?
Greg Warren
Ken Allen and Greg Allen, they were. We had a league. The Allen boys. The Allen boys. Yeah, the. The. The Allen gloves, which I. I don't know. I think it's. It's a little silly, don't you guys think? Absolutely.
Josh
In fact, it should. It's an un. It eventually should be frowned upon completely.
Christopher
Because those things can.
Greg Warren
This is. And this is coming from a guy who sold gloves, right? That's. That's an honorable man right there.
Edwin McCain
Yeah.
Greg Warren
I'll tell you when things change for wiffle ball guys. 1959, FW Woolworth placed a giant order. Oh, wow. And that's. That's when they built the factory.
Josh
Where'd they build the factory?
Greg Warren
Shelton, Connecticut. Josh, it's still there. They've never made a wiffle ball outside the United States. Really? It's a U.S. yeah.
Josh
That's why ESPN went there. Because the very first sport they covered was backyard.
Greg Warren
They were covering some weird stuff early on. Believe me, I know. I worked it. Did you really, Christie?
Josh
Arm wrestling?
Greg Warren
Curling.
Edwin McCain
Carly, don't you hear every now and then about some. I know a comedian who has like Wrigley Field recreated in his backyard.
Greg Warren
Oh, yeah, that's actually, I think Rick Messina is a manager of a community.
Edwin McCain
Yeah, Logan's a Messina. Yeah, that's right.
Greg Warren
I think there's the. The guy named Rick Farrell made a replica of Fenway in Hanover, Massachusetts. They have the World Wiffle Ball Championship. That's. That started in Mishawaka, Indiana by Jim Botdorf and Larry Grow. And that is still pretty much the premier championship. It's moved around several places, but they have new bats, guys made from like aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass. The moonshot bat is around 200 bucks for a wiffle ball bat. Yeah, yeah, there's, you know, they have. How many, how many cuts, Chick, are in that ball? How many holes?
Edwin McCain
I'm going to say six.
Greg Warren
That's a good, that's a good guess, Josh.
Josh
Eight.
Greg Warren
Pat. I'm going to go with six to make it. It's eight. It's eight oblong. Eight oblong cuts on the half of the ball. My buddy John Drexler in high school had an oblong head.
Edwin McCain
Yeah, I remember that. Football brain. Remember that's what we called it.
Christopher
Any holes in it?
Greg Warren
No, no. He's, you know, and he's a. He's a very handsome guy. But his head was slightly oblong.
Edwin McCain
That's hard to believe.
Greg Warren
He was, I'm telling you, very handsome guy. Yeah, Chick. But it was just slightly oblong. Not like Herman Munster or something. But it was. Yeah.
Edwin McCain
All right.
Greg Warren
My last point on Wiffle ball, my favorite thing about that ball was when it came in the box, it was like a black and orange box and it said a two word sentence with an exclamation point. It curves.
Christopher
That's it for another Bob and Tom show. Extra. Catch us on itunes, google play and stitcher For Bob and tom. Extra. This is Christopher. Take care, everybody.
Greg Warren
Jim Rome takes on sports.
Edwin McCain
Why?
Christopher
Because you're not playing me with rapid fire takes and a lot to get to. And I'm not sure you're gonn like all of it. Honestly, I don't even care if you like all of it or not. I have a job to do. Scorching debates on any given week, you have lots to beef about. Take advantage of. But get up in here.
Greg Warren
He's the spitfire of sports. Smack. She's not my fault.
Christopher
We will get to all of that.
Greg Warren
The Jim Rome show podcast.
Christopher
Get up in here and we'll beef later on. What's your beef?
Greg Warren
Follow and listen on your favorite platform.
Christopher
You've been warned.
Episode: B&T Extra: Greg Warren's Warren Report, Wiffle Ball
Release Date: July 8, 2025
In this engaging episode of The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast, the hosts delve into a humorous and informative discussion about the beloved pastime of Wiffle Ball. Hosted by The BOB & TOM Show alongside guests Greg Warren and Edwin McCain, the episode seamlessly blends comedy with insightful commentary, ensuring listeners are both entertained and educated.
The show kicks off with Bob reading a whimsical letter from a listener named Hopeless in Huntsville. In his letter, Hopeless humorously expresses insecurity about his physical attributes, particularly his lack of "pork," a euphemism for his physique. Bob responds with his signature comedic flair:
Bob [02:19]: "I don't have a lot down there, if you know what I mean... It sounds to me like you need to learn the bunt sign."
Bob adeptly turns the listener's concern into a series of jokes, emphasizing confidence and self-acceptance with lines like:
"Most women don't even know the difference unless they've been around a block a bunch."
This segment sets a lighthearted tone for the episode, showcasing the hosts' ability to tackle personal topics with humor.
Christopher introduces a special guest, Edwin McCain, a renowned singer and songwriter, enhancing the episode's appeal with a blend of music and comedy:
Christopher [04:43]: "We have a special guest joining us in the studio. He's a singer, he's a songwriter. He is Edwin McCain."
Edwin's presence adds a dynamic layer to the conversation, bridging the worlds of music and comedy.
The core of the episode revolves around Greg Warren's comprehensive exploration of Wiffle Ball. Starting with its unconventional origins, Greg narrates an amusing tale of David Mulaney, a semi-pro athlete who inadvertently invented the game:
Greg Warren [10:34]: "He was trying to throw a curveball without hurting his arm and ended up creating the Wiffle Ball."
Greg details the manufacturing nuances, describing the two halves of the ball:
Greg Warren [12:28]: "You have the half with the holes in it and the half without the holes in it, and they fuse them together."
He also touches upon the name's etymology, linking it to the term "whiffing," a baseball slang for striking out:
Greg Warren [12:44]: "From whiffing, you know, striking out."
The discussion extends to modern adaptations and competitive aspects:
Greg Warren [17:35]: "They have new bats made from aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass... The moonshot bat is around 200 bucks for a Wiffle Ball bat."
Greg's thorough analysis is both informative and entertaining, shedding light on the game's evolution and its cultural significance.
Throughout the episode, the hosts engage in playful banter, enhancing the listening experience with relatable humor:
Edwin McCain [16:34]: "They tend to be a little bit more organized now. They'll take over like a corner of a busy street, and there'll be, you know, blankets and all sorts of."
Greg Warren [17:18]: "We had a league. The Allen boys... It's a little silly, don't you guys think?"
These exchanges not only provide comic relief but also offer listeners a glimpse into the camaraderie among the hosts and guests.
The episode wraps up with final thoughts on Wiffle Ball's enduring appeal and its place in both casual and competitive settings. Greg shares nostalgic memories and emphasizes the game's simplicity and fun:
Greg Warren [20:04]: "My favorite thing about that ball was when it came in the box, it was like a black and orange box and it said a two-word sentence with an exclamation point. It curves."
The hosts bid farewell with promises of more entertaining content in future episodes, leaving listeners both amused and informed.
Bob [02:19]: "I gotta go. First off, man, most women don't even know the difference unless they've been around a block a bunch."
Greg Warren [10:34]: "He was trying to throw a curveball without hurting his arm and ended up creating the Wiffle Ball."
Edwin McCain [16:34]: "They tend to be a little bit more organized now. They'll take over like a corner of a busy street, and there'll be, you know, blankets and all sorts of."
Origins of Wiffle Ball: Greg Warren provides an entertaining history of Wiffle Ball, highlighting its accidental invention and subsequent evolution.
Manufacturing Insights: Detailed explanation of the ball's design and the manufacturing process, showcasing the game's unique aspects.
Cultural Impact: Discussion on Wiffle Ball's role in backyard entertainment and its competitive scene, including championships and specialized equipment.
Humor and Camaraderie: The episode exemplifies the hosts' ability to blend humor with informative content, fostering an engaging and relatable atmosphere.
This episode of The BOB & TOM Show Extra masterfully combines comedy with a deep dive into a nostalgic American pastime, making it a must-listen for fans of the show and enthusiasts of Wiffle Ball alike.