Beep Ball Fan

Good Morning,

What is the hardest skill to perform in sport? Hitting a baseball or driving a golf ball down the center of the fairway?

I'd like to submit my entry to the debate. But first you need to know I watched a "beep" baseball game yesterday.

This was not a game where they beeped out all the bad words but rather a demonstration of baseball as played in the blind community, i.e., people who are blind or poorly sighted.

Funny? I must admit I was kind of hoping to see the scene I imagined when I learned of the event...

Chaos. Unsighted people running off in all directions with concerned sighted folks running along behind them going “Are you okay?”

Instead, here's what I did find. (Instead of trying to construct a long coherent narrative I'd like to just offer my unfiltered first impressions).

• True grit. One of the fielding strategies is to throw your body in front of the ball—a hard over-sized softball that emits a "beep."

• Some things are made easier. There are sighted spotters out in the field to direct players to the ball after it is hit.

• They do not discriminate. If/when you hit the ball you can run to first or third. Just let the excitement take you in any direction!

• A few backyard or playground rules apply. If a fielder manages to pick up the ball before you reach the base, you’re out. The batter gets four strikes (also known as the big brother rule) and if/when the ball hits you, you are not allowed to cry.


From a fan perspective, I found this game enjoyable to watch as you do not have to worry so much about the loud drunken fan. In "beep" ball, players must be able to hear the beeps so any loud mouth fan is asked to leave. OR if he starts yelling “hey ump ump you’re blind!” you can just very calmly turn and say "So what’s your point?" (No really, the umps and pitchers are "sighted" i.e., they can see).

This just in from my fact checker Mitty (...the kitty). She said that according to her research there is some order to the base running (which is not true of her early morning sprinting…). As soon as the hitter makes contact, a buzzing sound is emitted from either first OR third base. (If I'd had the iPod buds out a my ears I woulda noticed this...). The hitter then locates and runs in the direction of the buzzing base.

Oh, thank you.

So,... (she’s very particular that Mitty)

Arguments…is hitting a baseball or driving a golf ball down the center of the fairway the hardest skill to do in sport? I’d like to offer a new entry: the task of the “beep” ball pitcher. His/her task is to “hit the hitter’s bat” with the ball mid-swing. First, this is a complete reversal of pitcher’s mindset. From, I want the ball to miss the bat to ”Okay, Sammy show me where the bat’s gonna be so I can hit it!” I say trying to pitch (competitively) to a point in space where the moving ball will hit the moving bat. Is in fact the hardest to perform skill in sport. And that’s that.

Happy Monday.

Amanda

*Backyard Homerun Derby Champion 84*, 86’, 87’, 88’
*84' w/fat bat

**Catcher of three hundred backyard no-hitters pitched
by Eric “Fernando Venezuela”