[Sportsandrec] Beep Baseball Regs

Wed Dec 31 21:23:49 UTC 2008

Peter,
Well besides making your balls explode,  you never really answered my 
questions. It sounds as if all you played with were blind people. Tell me 
about the fielding as in where the ball was if it had no sound mechanism and 
how you threw to another fielder. How did the blind pitchers serve up these 
victims to your robust phenomenal hitters? Who umpired?
"As for you Troy Donohue" "I know what you wanna do" Sandra D. Rizzo  Greece 
Soundtrack
Joe Shaw Nashville Maffia
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List" 
<sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 12:51 AM
Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Beep Baseball Regs


> Hello Joe and listers,
>
>    Myself and all those who attended schools for the blind and summer camp
> during the 1970s with me. We playd by the normal rules of the game and had 
> a
> blast doing it. One day during a game at Perkins one of the boys hit that
> utility ball so hard that it exploded in mid air. It sounded like a 
> gunshot
> that's how loud it was. Pieces of it fell in the out field. Sufficed to 
> say
> that player was creditted with a home run. It's too bad the bases weren't
> loaded.
>
>    During my time at Oak Hill they obtained a beeping baseball and we 
> tried
> playing with it. One-by-one we killed them. One guy hit that thing so hard
> he not only destroyed the ball, but broke the bat as well! We never messed
> with beeping baseballs again. Our coaches decided to stick with what 
> worked
> best.
>
> Peter Donahue
>
>
>
> From: "Joe Shaw" <jrs3147 at comcast.net>
> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List"
> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Beep Baseball Regs
>
>
> Peter,
> As one whom has always advocated for the devil, I must ask: You say there
> are those on this list who have played actual baseball with only a few
> modifications made, who besides Kelly are those people? He did it for a
> class and this is probably the only place it has been done. He pitched 
> while
> everyone else was sighted. So, I imagine he did not have to do a lot of
> fielding. He said he fielded a few grounders by hearing, it must have been
> very quiet. Kelly, I am in no way detracting from your accomplishment only
> meaning to illustrate how rare what you did and that it may not be 
> practical
> to have as an entire league or game played by  blind people as I read Pete
> to suggest.  The fielders must be able to locate the ball and then get it 
> to
> the base in time.  Also, you said you want the same number of balls and
> strikes, this would require that the blind pitcher get it to the blind
> hitter's strike zone in enough pitches to register an out or the hitter 
> will
> take enough for walks or swing and make contact by the pitcher being in 
> the
> strike zone. In your world, who umpires? If it is a blind person, how 
> would
> that happen? In my not humble opinion, your suggestion is noble  but I
> wonder how it would be possible.
> You don't seem to be a big "special rules" guy. I wonder how you feel 
> about
> the vending program specifically for blind people and NFB training 
> centers?
> I have a guess but I want to hear your answer before I jump to my
> conclusion.
> "I don't feel tardy" Hot for Teacher Van Halen
> Joe Shaw NM
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List"
> <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 8:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Beep Baseball Regs
>
>
>> Hello Jennifer and listers,
>>
>>    I wouldn't consider Beep Baseball as a "Blind Sport." Rather it's a
>> sport that was "Adapted" to permit the blind to play competitively. Goal
>> Ball, Showdown, and Swish were developed specifically for blind and
>> disabled
>> individuals so the concern does not apply to them.
>>
>>    We're not just talking about sports here, but about an attitude, a
>> mind-set these sports can create in blind competitors; especially blind
>> children and youth. If sports like this are allowed to continue to be
>> played
>> by rules that foster low expectations in blind competitors, i.t. reduced
>> play time, requiring that they be assisted to the bases by sighted
>> persons,
>> etc, we're setting these folks up for failure in life; a battle whose 
>> time
>> has come and a Green Monster to be destroyed.
>>
>>    Earlier today I talked to an S&R member concerning possible activities
>> at this year's national convention. Assuming time and space permit I
>> suggested a Beep Baseball game played by the rules of standard baseball
>> rather than the rather demeaning and short-sighted rules of Beep Baseball
>> you described. Use the BB equipment, but play the game as it should be
>> played. Remember there are those on this list who were playing baseball
>> and
>> participating in other competitive sports on a equal basis with sighted
>> players with nothing more than modifications needed to allow a blind
>> person
>> to play the game and not by rules and regs that reinforce the age-old
>> stereotypes and presumed "inabilities of the blind." Now let's "Play
>> Ball!!"
>>
>> Peter Donahue
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Jennifer Boylan" <jaboylan at gmail.com>
>> To: <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 6:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Beep Baseball Regs
>>
>>
>> Peter and all,
>> Okay, I will refrain from using the b-word (or in this case, the 
>> bb-word!)
>> Slippery slopes can be fun--never tried a downward spiral, though.
>> Seriously, I think it's important to be equal in society's eyes and it's
>> our
>> responsibility as blind individuals to earn that respect by showing what
>> we
>> can do in a positive way.  Some battles are more important than others, 
>> so
>> let's focus our energy there first before we pick apart the blind sports
>> too
>> much.  There is contact info for the rules committee on the NBBA website 
>> (
>> www.nbba.org) if you'd like to share your concerns with the powers that
>> be.
>> We have a hard enough time finding and keeping good pitchers, let alone
>> other volunteers and even players, so any competent individual is more
>> than
>> welcome to come out and try out for any position on our team!  Oh dear, 
>> as
>> co-captain I'm a co-conspirator in all the establishment has to
>> offer...let
>> me go join my daughter for a time out and reflect on my sins.  Joe, 
>> thanks
>> for picking up my slack on the lyric/artist thing.
>>  Jennifer
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>
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