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HERE'S THE PITCH: Joe DeJesus of the Long Island Bombers, takes a pitch from Jim Sciortino during an exhibition of Beep Baseball at Yankee Stadium on Sunday July 10. Batters and pitchers must have impeccable timing and rhythm to get hits, because the batters cannot see the ball, which 'beeps.' (Kristen Meriwether/The Epoch Times)
A day after Derek Jeter achieved his 3000th hit, the Long Island Bombers, New York’s only Beep Baseball team, were doing some hitting of their own at Yankee Stadium. The only difference? They were doing it without the advantage of sight.
Baseball without sight seems impossible, but, as members of the media and the Yankee organization found out, it is very possible and quite exciting to watch.
Speaking with players, you can really get a sense of what this sport means to them. It allows people with visual disabilities the opportunity to play baseball, a sport they would not otherwise be allowed to play.
Joe DeJesus, 17, has only been playing for a year and a half. “This is a very challenging sport. It means everything to me because I love baseball, but I can’t play baseball. This is a form of baseball that allows me to participate. ”
Ted Fass, founder of the Long Island Bombers, said, “You can just play baseball. This is the closest sport to the real game of baseball. I like the freedom.”
As they explained the rules, it became clear that this was not an easy sport at all. Each aspect of the game provided its own challenging nuances and it was hard to believe that the game was being played by people who were visually impaired.
Hitting
The game of Beep Baseball uses a grapefruit sized ball with a speaker that emits a repetitive “beep” so that the players can hear where the ball is. Because all players have different levels of impairment, everyone is blind-folded, creating a level playing field.
The pitcher, who is sighted and on the same team as the batter, stands only 20 feet away. They deliver the ball underhand, but timing is the key. The pitcher forms a rhythm with the batter, saying, “Ready … pitch” for each delivery, a move that is practiced frequently. The pitcher has to know where the batter likes to swing, and the batter must swing the same each time.
The batter gets four strikes, or misses, to hit the ball, and one “take” where the batter can let the ball pass and not swing. There is no walking, as in traditional baseball.
On paper it might sound somewhat easy to get the timing down, but to actually put on the blindfold and step up to the plate without sight is intimidating. Playing baseball or softball, we are taught to “keep your eye on the ball.” That is not the case in this sport. Trusting teammates is taken to a whole other level.Next: Hitting, Fielding
