About this item
Highlights
- The first deaf baseball player joined the pro ranks in 1883.
- About the Author: R.A.R. Edwards is a professor of history at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.
- 214 Pages
- Reference, General
Description
About the Book
"The first deaf baseball player joined the pro ranks in 1883. By 1901, four played in the major leagues, most notably outfielder William "Dummy" Hoy and pitcher Luther "Dummy" Taylor. Along the way, deaf players developed a distinctive approach, bringing visual acuity and sign language to the sport. They crossed paths with other pioneers, including Moses Fleetwood Walker and Jackie Robinson. This book recounts their great moments in the game, from the first all-deaf barnstorming team to the only meeting of a deaf batter and a deaf pitcher in a major league game. The true story-often dismissed as legend-of Hoy, together with umpire "Silk" O'Loughlin, bringing hand signals to baseball is told"--Book Synopsis
The first deaf baseball player joined the pro ranks in 1883. By 1901, four played in the major leagues, most notably outfielder William "Dummy" Hoy and pitcher Luther "Dummy" Taylor. Along the way, deaf players developed a distinctive approach, bringing visual acuity and sign language to the sport. They crossed paths with other pioneers, including Moses Fleetwood Walker and Jackie Robinson.
This book recounts their great moments in the game, from the first all-deaf barnstorming team to the only meeting of a deaf batter and a deaf pitcher in a major league game. The true story--often dismissed as legend--of Hoy, together with umpire "Silk" O'Loughlin, bringing hand signals to baseball is told.
Review Quotes
"R.A.R. Edwards confronts the obstacles and challenges faced by deaf ballplayers striving for the major leagues, but also reveals how the deafness of those who broke through enhanced their abilities on the diamond, elevated their teammates, and enriched the game."-SABR Deadball Era Committee Newsletter
"With knowledgeable discussion of the history of deaf people in America, statistics, and colorful anecdotes gleaned from a wide variety of sources, Deaf Players in Major League Baseball makes fascinating reading."-Christopher Krentz, University of Virginia
About the Author
R.A.R. Edwards is a professor of history at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.