Baseball is on the minds of many this time of year as the MLB playoffs are in full swing. You may not be aware that there is another type of baseball World Series. It’s for Beep Baseball, and it’s held in the summer.
What makes Beep Baseball special is the players. Beep Baseball is for the blind and visually impaired.
How Beep Baseball Works
When you attend a Beep Baseball game, you’ll see blind and visually impaired athletes, all wearing blindfolds, diving into the ground to stop the beeping ball or running at top speed towards a buzzing base. Each team has a sighted pitcher and catcher.
While the foundation of Beep Baseball is traditional baseball, there are more differences than the blindfolds, beeping balls and buzzing bases. Unlike traditional baseball, Beep Baseball has only 6 innings (unless more are needed to break a tie).
Another difference is with the bases. There is no second base, and the first and third bases are padded cylinders with speakers, four feet high. They are placed 100 feet down their respective lines and off the foul line by 10 feet.
A base operator activates the base’s buzzing sound when a player hits a ball. The runner won’t know which will buzz. Instead, they’ll need to identify and reach the buzzing base before a defensive player fields the ball.
Join in the Fun!
There are Beep Baseball teams throughout the U.S. You can contact a local team directly about joining. This year’s NBBA World Series is in Norman, OK. From July 30 through August 5, 2023, competitive teams come together to win the highest level of Beep Baseball while experiencing camaraderie and fun.
Photo credit: https://www.nbba.org/
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