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Baseball and ASL:

By Janet Welch
10/28/04

            The final out and the curse is over.  The Boston Red Sox won the World Series, beating the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight games.   The final out was a ground ball back to the pitcher, he ran towards first, and then flipped the ball to the first basemen.  The umpire gave the universal sign for "out", and the game was over. 
            The signs used in baseball are credited to an umpire named Bill Klem.  (www.msmproductionsltd.com/media_releases/017dummyhoy)  He started his professional career in 1905.  A plaque in National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York credits Mr. Klem with inventing the signs.  Many seem to disagree with crediting Mr. Klem.
            William Ellsworth "Dummy" Hoy was a tremendous baseball player from the late 1800's.  Many feel he should be in the Hall of Fame.  He is still in the top 25 on the all time stolen base list.  He led the league in walks and was credited with the first grand slam hit in the majors.  He has a long list of outstanding achievements on the ball field.  He was also deaf.  Researchers have found many references to the signs used in baseball being credited to Hoy.  (www.baseballcrank.com/archives/001224.php)  One of the most compelling pieces of evidence is written accounts by his roommate, Sam Crawford.  He and others claim it was Hoy who had the umpires use signals so he would know what was going on.  Hoy was an outfielder and Crawford also described how he would call the ball in the outfield with a strong squeaking noise.
            Another deaf baseball player that had tremendous success on the field was Luther Taylor.  Taylor played for the New York Giants.  He was a pitcher, and helped the Giants win the pennants in 1904 and 1905.  They also won the World Series in 1905.  A story was told of how Taylor wore big rubber boots onto the field on a very rainy day.  He signed to a teammate that the umpire should call the game because of rain and got a big laugh from the team.  The umpire came over and threw him out of the game, signing to him that he was also fining him $25.00.  (www.ed3.gallaudet.edu/diversity/BGG/First%20Deaf/Athletics.html)
            Edward Dundon was another good player who played for the Atlanta Braves.  His claim to fame may be that he later became an umpire and was probably the first professional deaf umpire.  A recent deaf player that accounted for himself well, playing on several teams was Curtis Pride.  (www.deafness.about.com)  We may want to keep an eye on a young pitcher in the Seattle Mariner farm system by the name of Ryan Ketchner.  He is a left handed pitcher.  He uses hearing aides that help him detect vibrations, not to understand words.  He is a good pitcher and a very talented lip reader.  (www.msmproductionsltd.com/media_releases/017dummyhoy)
 

References: 

www.msmproductionsltd.com/media_releases/017dummyhoy
www.baseballcrank.com/archives/001224.php
www.ed3.gallaudet.edu/diversity/BGG/First%20Deaf/Athletics.html
www.deafness.about.com
www.msmproductionsltd.com/media_releases/017dummyhoy

Also see: "Dummy Hoy"
Also see: "Baseball"
Also see: "Baseball and ASL"


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