SEATTLE — It looked like any other game of America’s favorite pastime – a green field, players practicing swings, an announcer welcoming fans to the game. There were just a few differences.
Every player was wearing a blindfold. There was also high-pitched beeping sounds coming from the ball and from first and third base.
On Sunday, a team of Seattle police officers joined in on a game of beep baseball, or baseball for the visually impaired. After donning their black blindfolds, the officers were on an even playing field with the other team.
“It’s a totally different perspective on baseball,” said Captain Anderson of the Seattle Fire Department.
The game has been played for decades, and anyone can participate. According to the National Beep Baseball Association, a team must have at least six players who have a visual impairment and three players who do not, and every player who is fielding or batting must wear a blindfold.
“A lot of people don’t know that blind people desire to play baseball, or be this active, or this competitive – this lets you know that all of the answers to those is yes,” beep baseball coach Kevin Daniel said. “Being able to showcase your ability and getting people to say, ‘Wow, see what he or she just did,’ rather than say, ‘Oh they’re blind.’”
Batters listen for the pitch, rather than see the ball before the hit. Then they must locate which base to run to by the buzzing sound it emits. The goal is for the batter to run to a base before a defensive player grabs the ball.
“Having them come out and compete against us, though we’re disabled and members of the blind community, and show us the respect of saying, ‘We’d like to beat you. We’d like to be good at your sport,’ is a big deal,” Daniel said.