You have to "see" this game to believe it.

• Author: Grey, Andrew
• Position: Athletic Arena - Baseball

"Welcome to the world of beep baseball, where the balls beep, bases buzz, and players are visually impaired."

THE CRACK OF THE BAT as it connects with the ball and the excitement that follows--the runner racing around the bases, fielders scrambling to retrieve the errant horsehide, the umpire yelling safe on a close play, and cheers erupting from the stands all are part of our national pastime. Welcome to the wonderful game of baseball, but here is the twist: this is beep baseball, where the balls beep, bases buzz, and players are visually impaired.

Beep baseball, or beepball, originated in 1964 with the invention of the beeping baseball, and has many similarities to its inspiration game. Batters are pitched to, with the possibility of balls, strikes, and hits. Runners race to bases, and fielders retrieve balls to prevent scoring. There are outs, runs, and innings, just as in regular baseball. Teams work together to score--and to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Fans yell and cheer from the stands, and the excitement, energy, and thrill of competition are ever present. Just like baseball, beepball has a national governing body, the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA), as well as a world series and hall of fame.

A beepball team consists of a minimum of six visually impaired individuals. All of these players, regardless of their level of visual impairment, wear blindfolds to ensure fair play. These players act as fielders and batters. In addition, there are a number of sighted players. These include the pitcher, catcher, and field spotters.

A major difference from regular baseball is that the pitcher and catcher are on the same team as the batter. Since the hitter is not able to see, the pitcher, catcher, and batter must work together in order for the hitter to connect with a moving ball through steady cadence. The field spotters, meanwhile, work with the defense to guide them toward the batted ball. Fully sighted players are allowed (wearing blindfolds), but they only play when there are no other players available to fill the rotation.

Pitching in beep baseball is all about maintaining a constant cadence with the hitter. Instead of a duel between the pitcher and batter as in regular baseball, the pitcher must communicate with the hitter. Each pitch is accompanied by a call of "ready" and then "pitch," as the ball is released. The goal of the pitcher is to place the ball in a regular space and speed over the plate so the hitter...