Ask Mike: The first deaf player in baseball
Hey Guys,
The Major Leagues recently honored Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in baseball, by having all the players where Jackie’s number (42) for one game. There can be no debate that Robinson was a great hero, who had an immeasurable impact on baseball. I got to thinking about other players who helped change the face of the big leagues. That led me to the story of William Hoy.
William Hoy was one of the first deaf people to play Major League Baseball. Hoy, who went by the nickname “Dummy,” joined the big leagues in 1888, at the age of 26. Hoy lost his hearing at a young age after suffering from meningitis, but went on to graduate at the top of his class from the Ohio State School for the Deaf. Later, after opening his own shoe repair store, he switched tracks and made baseball his career.
Hoy played professional baseball for more than 14 seasons, racking up over 2,000 career hits and nearly 600 stolen bases. In fact, at the time of his retirement in 1902, Hoy had the third most stolen bases in MLB history. Even now, over a hundred years later, he’s still number 18 all time.
But that isn’t all — Hoy is credited by many for creating the “safe” and “out” gestures used by umpires in games. The reason was obvious — he couldn’t hear, so he needed some other way of knowing what was going on in the game. He asked his third base coach to raise an arm if a ball was a strike. The practice caught on. Those same basic gestures are still used today in every level of baseball.
No doubt he was a heckuva baseball player. But, according to dummyhoy.com, he was also an incredibly likable and honest person. Apparently, during a game in which the sky had turned dark, Hoy was ruled to have caught a fly ball hit by the opposing team. The other team protested and when the umpire asked Hoy if he had really caught the ball, he admitted that he had not. “The umpire called the batter safe. Hoy’s teammates were furious. Hoy was satisfied that he had told the truth.”
According to a site dedicated to his memory, Hoy would often tell people that he had two goals in life. One, to live to be a hundred years old. And two, to make it into the baseball hall of fame. He almost accomplished the first goal. He passed away in 1961, at the age of 99. Just a few months before he died, he threw out the first pitch in game three of the World Series.
Hoy’s other goal, to be enshrined as one of baseball’s best ever in Cooperstown, was never achieved. But people are still trying. Hoy’s fans ask that others email the Hall of Fame directly. From a statistical point of view, Hoy was certainly far above average. But as a man who helped mold the game into what it is, America’s Pastime, he is one of the all time greats.
Thanks for reading,
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I find this very interesting, because I’m deaf myself and I’m a high school athlete (I stink at baseball though).
i have heard of this. i took Deaf Community & Culture classes. got my certificate.
I did not know there was a deaf baseball player ever exist, well I am proud to say that I am deaf also, my motto is ” it’s not what you do it’s how you do in life that make you a better person “
Curtis Pride is another notable athlete in baseball. He was born deaf. He had a MLB career, including with the Expos and the Yankees, and according to Wikipedia he is now a head university baseball coach.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Pride
People can probably find out more about him on the Internet.
- The Daily Decibel
I was surpirised to see thar there was a deaf baseball player…my parents were deaf but i never seen them talk about Mr.Hoy…i was very interested in reading bout him..thank you…
What a joke. He isn’t Hall Of Fame Worthy. Maybe Hall Of OK Or Hall Of Very Good but Hall Of Fame. Players get in the Hall Of fame for the what they do in the game. 2000 Hits 500 Hits away from even being consider for the Hall Of Fame.
Elizabeth,
Some deaf baseball players are. . .
- Jill Bianco of the Chicago Gems (she is a good player)
- Pierce Phillips of Highland Regional High School (he is a good player too)
Maybe one day they will reach the major leagues like William Hoy and Curtis Pride!
Sincerely,
The Daily Decibel
I’m not a sports fan but I do enjoy the history of how things came to be as we know them today.
Thank you for bringing to the forfront that being different from those around you doesn’t mean you can’t be great and make an impact to last generations.
I hope his dream of being in the Hall of Fame comes true. One should be nominated for their contribution to the game itself, not just for one’s statistics. Statistics are wonderful and make great memories, but they don’t shape the game; it’s people like Hoy who shape the game, which inspires others to make the statistics.