Date Of Event: Sep. 17, 2023
Location: Salem Commons, Salem, MA
Summary: Beep baseball made its first appearance in Salem, MA last weekend.
Website: Adaptive Sports Beep Baseball
Beeps, pylons and eye masks may not be the first things you think of when you think of baseball. But they are some of the key components to Adaptive Sports Beep baseball or baseball for the blind. But there are so many more elements to the game. In fact, beep baseball has many rules from the amount of fielders to the number of innings that differentiate it from traditional baseball.
Each team has 6 fielders including a first base and third base fielder, a shortstop, a left fielder, a right fielder, and a center fielder. A player is ruled out if one of these fielders controls the ball before the hitter makes it to a base. And each game generally lasts 6 innings, although the game I went to was only 3 innings.
Each team has a pitcher designated to them. While the exact protocol may differ from each league or organization, generally the pitcher says “Ready…set…pitch” or a variation of this series of words to let the batter know a pitch is on it’s way. According to Joe Quintanilla, a captain for Boston Strong, one of the 29 teams in the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA), a hitter will often wait for the “pi” in the beginning of the word “pitch” to for his or her swing. While the beeping is of the ball is important for the fielders to locate the ball, it may be less important for the hitter’s swing.
Both hitters and fielders wear eye masks when they play and no applause or cheering is allowed during plays or during at bats as it may interfere with the ability of the hitters and fielders to hear the ball or the beeping of the base they will have to run to. The hitters are allowed up to 4 strikes and while they can take pitches for balls there are no walks in the game. Each team is allowed 3 outs each time they come up to bat. Timing, experience and dexterity are key to making contact.
After hitting the ball, hitters can run to either first or third base, which are located 100 ft from home plate, depending on where the ball is hit. A nearly 5 ft blue base buzzes when a ball is hit near it and the runner runs to that particular base as long as the ball travels 40 feet (otherwise it is considered a foul ball). Each pylon is wired to a controller that cause it to beep when a fair ball is hit near it. If the hitter makes it to the base before the ball is fielded and controlled by a fielder it is ruled a run. If he or she does not make it to the base before the ball is controlled by a fielder, he or she is out. There are “spotters” who help guide the hitters if they go out of the base paths. Also, if the hitter doesn’t make it to the base in 30 seconds he or she is ruled out. If a batted ball travels at least 170 ft in the air over fair territory before settling, it is, upon declaration of the umpire considered a home run.
The fielders rely on the beeping off the ball, skill, instinct, experience and team work to locate the ball and record an out.
You may see in the photo below there are little holes on the side of the ball where the beeping sounds emit from.
During the game, you may see players positioning the bat against home plate. This is done to help orient the batter so they can have a better feeling for where they are positioned.
The coaches, volunteers and teammates have strong bonds with each other, support each other and they even make sure to add humor and sportsmanship to the games, even playing and singing “Sweet Caroline” during the 7th inning (in this case 3rd inning stretch)
The Boston Strong team won, with team captain Joe Quintanilla fielding the game ending out. But it was a nail biter to the end!
Beep baseball’s beginnings can be traced back to 1964 when an engineer for the Mountain Bell Telephone Company named Charlie Fairbanks heard the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind needed ball to play sports with. Although footballs had been made with bells attached to them, there weren’t any baseballs that could be used effectively for visual impairments. But, this didn’t deter Fairbanks. After experimenting with various components, Fairbanks ended up using spare telephone parts to use as the inner components for the baseball. After Charlie would deconstruct softballs and add the appropriate parts. his wife, Vi, would stitch the balls together. Since then, the baseball and the game has gone through a lot of transformations. And it’s more popular than ever.
Below are some highlights from the Beep baseball event.
September 24th, 2023 at 3:09 am
We seem mto get rather confused nowadays when it comes to a definition of “hero”. Sometimes it seems to be just a person who delivers pizzas in the rain.
These people, though, are the real heroes. Refusing to give in to their handicaps, and trying to live a normal life, just like everybody else.
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September 24th, 2023 at 5:14 pm
It’s very inspiring. Yet as impressive as these players are, I have found these players greatly want to be viewed as equals as they are.
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September 24th, 2023 at 4:38 pm
Fascinating.
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September 24th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Yes it’s a very interesting game. The founders of the game and people who continue to develop the game have really thought of all the aspects of the game. It’s a very well thought out game and very entertaining to watch!
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September 24th, 2023 at 10:38 pm
I was today years old when I learned that Beep Baseball is a thing. How cool! Thank you for the details too, I really enjoy learning how different sports work, and when the visual element is not there, other tools have to be used and them made systematic across the game. People amaze me.
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September 24th, 2023 at 10:53 pm
Thank you for reading and commenting! I had never heard of it or attended a game either until I photographed the game. It is really cool how they considered all of the details and elements of the game. And I look forward to photographing another game!
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September 26th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Thanks for sharing and explaining all this. Very cool!
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September 26th, 2023 at 10:15 pm
Thank you David! It is a very cool game! I learned a lot about the game and the players!
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September 29th, 2023 at 11:53 pm
💯
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