Ken Burns was at the helm of “Baseball”, an acclaimed, Emmy-winning documentary series that remains a benchmark in the realm of sports narration. He also contributed to “Wiffle Ball”, created by Kenny Mayne. Ultimately, time will reveal which film holds greater historical weight. Mayne’s documentary, which debuted earlier this month on Fubo Sports, revisits a […]
Ken Burns was at the helm of “Baseball”, an acclaimed, Emmy-winning documentary series that remains a benchmark in the realm of sports narration.
He also contributed to “Wiffle Ball”, created by Kenny Mayne.
Ultimately, time will reveal which film holds greater historical weight.
Mayne’s documentary, which debuted earlier this month on Fubo Sports, revisits a day in 1989 when the former ESPN host, then covering local sports in Seattle, alleges he pitched a Wiffle ball faster than Ken Griffey Jr. in a speed throwing competition at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center.
The documentary serves multiple purposes, particularly Mayne’s mission to conclusively determine if he truly achieved that feat. Filming took place in Seattle, New Hampshire, and Connecticut, including a visit to Wiffle Ball headquarters in Shelton.
Growing up in Seattle but now residing in West Hartford, Mayne described the film as a heartfelt homage to Wiffle Ball, along with his own narrative, reflecting on his childhood obsession with the game alongside friends, and years later finding himself in a contest against one of baseball’s legends. It’s infused with his signature irreverent humor and doubles as a documentation of him creating the documentary itself.
“It was a futile and ultimately meaningless endeavor,” Mayne joked.
He mentioned that the concept for the film popped into his mind after Griffey recalled their encounter at a recent award ceremony.
“I figured it was pretty neat to have an old recording of Griffey throwing Wiffle balls; who wouldn’t want that? It’s been stashed in basements and garages for 35 years, and two Februaries ago, I saw him at this Seattle sports awards event I was connected with. He referenced that day we pitched Wiffle balls to each other. I was looking for quirky subjects to explore and decided to track down the tape and narrate what exactly transpired that day in 1989.”
Regarding Burns’ contribution, it was a brief on-screen appearance, although the esteemed filmmaker also offered assistance behind the scenes.
“I thought the sheer ridiculousness of the greatest American documentary filmmaker participating in a Wiffle Ball documentary would pan out one way or another,” Mayne shared with The Courant.
Now at age 65, Mayne, who departed from ESPN in 2021, expresses his ambition to create more “pointless” comedic documentaries. He revealed his exit from ESPN on social media three years prior, labeling it as “a salary cap casualty,” and reports surfaced that he declined the company’s proposal to retain his position with a 61 percent salary reduction.
Mayne was cherished by audiences not only for his role on SportsCenter but also for his comedic segments on Sunday NFL Countdown, Mayne Street, and other ESPN programs. He shared with The Courant that a career highlight for him wasn’t tied to any particular sketch or accolade, but the fact that members of Stevie Wonder’s band recognized him.
“Seriously,” he insisted.
Mayne made a brief appearance on SportsCenter a couple of weeks back to promote “Wiffle Ball,” but stated that his primary focus will remain on producing independent short films.
“Wiffle Ball” can be streamed on Amazon Freevee, LG Channels, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream, The Roku Channel, VIZIO WatchFree+, Tubi, Plex, and Tablo TV.
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