Sports : The Legacy of Baseball's Dummy

Today's sports column is especially for the young men and women of Vinton whose games bring their parents to the local ball diamonds, whether its Park and Rec league, the USSSA teams that play at Marvin Lindsey Field, or the high school baseball and softball teams.

All of you young players are part of a tradition of baseball that has lasted nearly 150 years. And in that century and a half, countless people have contributed to the game to make it as meaningful as it has become to you.

Many of those people you know by name: Famous players who set records and inspired millions of fans and broadcasters who brought the games to us via radio and television.

But many of the people who made baseball what is would never hear their names mentioned at a modern baseball field.

That's because although what they did impacts the game for all players, they have been forgotten.

Today's column is about one of those forgotten heroes: Baseball's Dummy -- Dummy Hoy.

Dummy's entire life was incredible. He was born during the Civil War, survived a serious childhood bout with meningitis, and died after JFK became president, at age 99.

But Dummy is famous because of baseball.

And Dummy affects you, young player, because of what I am about to tell you.

Dummy was a Major League player from 1888 to 1902. He had been a shoe repairman who played baseball on weekends before he got noticed by the scouts and made his way to the big leagues.

He played outfield and was known for his speed.

But there are two surprising things about Dummy. First he was short, only about five feet, four inches tall.

But most significantly, he was deaf. The meningitis left him without his hearing and affected his speech. That's where the nickname "Dummy" came from. (Baseball has had at least two other "Dummys" -- Edward Joseph “Dummy” Dundon and Luther Haden “Dummy” Taylor. (Google them)

Because Dummy was deaf, he could not hear an umpire say "ball" or "strike."

Pitchers took advantage of this handicap in his first season. But soon Dummy and his coach came up with some hand signals to indicate balls or strikes. Eventually, the umpires started using them, as well.

Much of the baseball world has forgotten Dummy Hoy, although he is in the Cincinnatti Reds Hall of Fame. The rest of the baseball world has never heard of him.

But every time an umpire moves his hands to signal ball or strike, or safe or out, he is paying a silent tribute to one of baseball's Dummys.

So, baseball player, every time you take the field or walk up to the plate, remember that there have been countless people who have made the game you love what it is: Your parents, your coaches, your favorite players and announcers, along with many people whose names you never will hear.

I hope that sometime on that field, you will pause, just for a moment, and say a silent thank you for making baseball what it means to you.

READER COMMENTS:

There are more that three Deaf baseball players you just mentioned, I can send you a picture of it, kindly send me an email and I will send you one. There are more to comment on Dummy Hoy if you are interested. Having 20+ years of researches and consider the foremost authority on Dummy Hoy. Am in Columbus, Ohio if you would like to know. Thanks for making a comment on Dummy Hoy, he stands proud wherever he is.