Ben Lamb: The legend, the dream, the vision
 The Hess Field Wiffleball League hasn’t been quite the same since Ben Lamb announced his retirement in 2006. Many players in the league fondly remember the man who was the inspiration for the Lamb Division, while others simply wonder at the magnanimity of the guy they never knew. HFWB would not be what it is today without the blood, sweat and tears of Ben Lamb, and once again, he is setting out to make his mark both in the league and in the wider world. Ben and I talked about what he has been up to since his 2006 departure from HFWB as well as his upcoming documentary about the sport we all love, featuring three HFWB teams.

 Courtney Weller (The Wiffleball 411): Ben, you played only during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, yet you were named the 2005 Rookie of the Year (Quay's Muckdogs) and in 2006 you were voted the Most Improved Player as well as being inducted into the HFWB Hall of Fame (Shapoopies). Then, the HFWB world was shocked and saddened when you retired in 2006. What have you been up to since then and what do you miss most about wiffin' it up during the summer months?

Ben Lamb is the founding father of the Lamb Division, and is responsible for the creation of the Hess Field Scoreboard.

 Ben Lamb: Since my departure from HFWB I have been on a personal journey to discover what I am meant to do in life. It has taken me to Belize and Virginia, and through a variety of mindsets previously foreign to myself. Throughout my journeys I have always looked fondly upon my years at HFWB, and wondered if I would ever be able to get back in touch with the league as anything other than a player. The thing I miss most is the knowledge that I would be hanging out with the same group of guys a couple days a week. I miss the comradery that developed and the intensity of being a member of a team. My days as a player are over, but those memories will stick with me always.

 CW: Some might, by the look of a few posts on the forum, think that you hold ill feelings towards HFWB. Have you ever felt underappreciated with all the work you have put towards the league and, in particular, the late Lamb Field?

 BL: Unfortunately, there have been a few times in the past where I did feel unappreciated and quite distanced from the league. These times coincided with lacks in communication, high intensity league stresses, money issues, and did I mention lacks in communication? All in all, I do not hold any hard feelings toward the league and I know that individual situations do not categorize the league. At the same time though, as factions grew and the league hybridized into the entity that it is today, it has become something that I recognize less and less. Yet, I am still honored to have it carry my last name with the title "Lamb Division", and am even more honored to be able to be involved as a non-player.

 CW: Your upcoming documentary on HFWB has been claimed as "the best thing since Jay Rozell voluntarily named his team the G-Bangers." What has inspired you and your production company, TriPawed Kitty Productions, to take on this endeavor and what will your role be in the process?
                                         
 BL: Well, as a few people know, I have always dreamt about making movies. It has been a hidden passion of mine that I haven’t had the time to really work on. Now that has changed and I feel this kind of documentary hasn’t really been done before. Wiffleball has a half a century of history behind it, and its ups and downs in popularity have really made wiffleball an underdog story as a whole, and I love underdog stories. Fusing together my passion for story telling and the extensive growth of the HFWB league, I only felt it natural that wiffleball, with a consistent following of the 2008 HFWB season as the basis, should be the premise for my first feature length documentary.

 CW: Could you give us a brief preview of what aspects of HFWB you plan on encompassing?

 BL: I will first answer this question by saying that nothing is ever written in stone, but I do have a little “somethin’ somethin’” to release as a preview. Basically, the film is far more than just a documentary about a wiffleball league from upstate New York. It is a documentary that spans 50 years, millions of balls, and the trials and tribulations of intense competition. The documentary will explain the history of wiffleball, the rises and falls in its popularity, a diverse array of odd facts, and of course, will follow the HFWB league through another undoubtedly intense season. I am in the works on getting interviews with David J. Mullany (Vice President of The Wiffle Ball Inc.), as well as several stars who have shown their interest in wiffleball, including, but not limited to: Michael Rosenbaum, Michael Ian Black, David Wain, Peter Pasco, and Michael Showalter. Obviously I do not know if all of these interviews will happen, but the work is in progress. In addition to these interviews, the documentary will be following three teams in HFWB from the beginning of the season to the pinnacle finale, as well as making appearances at several other WB leagues located around the USA. In summary, it will not be just a HFWB documentary. It is an epic documentary involving famous individuals, a classic backyard, back alley game, and the all or none journey to the Hess Field Wiffleball Championship.