I think we need more whiffleball leagues in this country. For those of you who don't know, whiffleball is as American as apple pie and Chevrolets. In the 1950s, this guy in Connecticut invents a baseball-like game that he can play with his very young son and something that could be played anywhere without fear of breaking windows, etc. After a lot of experimentation, he discovers that the optimal layout and type of holes on a hollow plastic ball are eight oblong shaped holes on one half of the ball's surface. I don't know why but I find this stuff interesting.
Anyway, Helmer has taken to whiffleball quite a bit. He doesn't retrieve nor does he let go of a ball when he brings it to you. However, I learned that if you have three balls in play at one time, he will go after the one you hit ... that leaves you two more to distract him with ... you hit the first ball, he runs to get it, he sees you have another one in your hand, comes running back to you with the original ball in his mouth and drops it when you hit the second ball. This continues until he tires - this usually occurs in 5 to 10 minutes.
