Indians' Sizemore A Hit In Wiffle Ball Game In Westlake - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Maggi Martin
Plain Dealer Reporter

Westlake -- Looking to knock one out of the park, Grady Sizemore leaned into the pitch and swung.

The ball rocketed off. Going, going . . .

Red maple? The ball bounced off a limb and tumbled down into a free-for-all among 22 outfielders planted in the grass with open mitts and a fierce desire to rob the Indians superstar of a hit.

It was Wiffle Ball at its best Monday at Fogle's Field, otherwise known as the home of Bill and Linda Fogle and their three sons. The family won the "Backyard Challenge with Grady Sizemore" contest sponsored by gas supplier Direct Energy to earn a game and picnic lunch with the ballplayer.

The event seemed to draw every kid on Dominion Street.

"They've talked about nothing else for the last two weeks," said Bill Fogle, a lifelong Indians fan who has watched Sizemore climb from minor-league prospect to American League all-star.

"I feel like a little kid myself. The closest I ever came to seeing a major-league player was when I walked by Carlos Baerga once."

More than 100 neighbors, family and friends gathered in the yard, where a large banner proclaimed it Fogle's Field. Wedged between a trampoline and wooden playground, the diamond overflowed with a sea of blue and red shirts with "Sizemore" across the back. (A few "Hafner" and "Martinez" shirts filled out the lineup.)

Clutching a yellow bat, Sizemore batted leadoff. He found hits hard to come by against a defense of 22 outfielders and a red maple, popping out a few times before deciding to give pitching a try.

He then lobbed balls, sometimes two at a time, to dozens of batters eager to take their cuts. After getting whacked a few times by wayward Wiffles, Sizemore called for relief and broke for the shade. He rested long enough to recall backyard baseball during his childhood in Seattle, when he was a fan of Ken Griffey and Bo Jackson.

"I couldn't have imagined then what it would be like to have a major-league player in your back yard. I still get star-struck when I see players like Griffey," Sizemore said. "This one today is for all the kids."

The Fogles did their best to impress the recent Sports Illustrated coverboy. Linda Fogle provided "Grady's brownies" with the centerfielder's photo decorating the creamy chocolate frosting. Six-year-old Eric Fogle scrawled welcoming posters and taped them on the home's windows. One proclaimed: "Grade Sizmrr is asum basbol."

Two-year-old Tommy Fogle delighted the crowd with the fact that he could even say Grady's name. Tommy served as a pinch runner, of sorts, after discovering that speeding around the bases was more intriguing than smacking the ball.

Eight-year-old Bobby Fogle, an outfielder for the Westlake Links, bounced off the trampoline Monday to meet his hometown baseball hero. After watching Sizemore sign dozens of baseballs and pictures, Bobby reciprocated - giving Sizemore an authentic autographed Bobby Fogle picture.

Asked if he had any advice to offer his fellow outfielder, Bobby answered, "No, he's already a pretty good player."