Visiting Taiwan Beep Baseball Association

 

 

Date: February 12th 2012

Weather: Sunny

Location: Baseball field

under Dahan Bridge, Banqiao,

New Taipei City

 

 

 

 

Our record on association convenor Mr. Chih-Chieh Lai’s explanation of blind baseball:

1. A blind baseball is bigger than a common baseball. Because it’s an electronic product that beeps, so it should be kept away from humidity. That is why we cannot practice on rainy days

 

2. For blind baseball, the pitcher and the batter are at the same team. The pitcher has to throw a ball for the batter to hit. The two players need to know each other. The pitcher has to shout clear commands to guide the batter.

 

3.Since both the batter and the basemen must be blind, those visually impaired who aren’t fully blind need to wear eye patches.

 

4. The pitcher, the catcher, and the spotter are sighted.

 

5.There are only the first and the third bases for blind baseball. The bases are circular pillars. The spotter has to identify which base the batter will run to, and makes the base sounded. The batter runs towards the activated base. Before the opponent finds the ball, if the batter has touched the base, the team wins points.

 

6. There should be no cheering among audience during the game. The audience have to be silent in order to let the players identify the location of the ball by listening. They can only clap hands after the point is won.

 

7. Batters get four strikes and one pass ball. One pass ball means the players have one chance not to bat.

 

8. The blind baseman is unlikely to catch the ball with barehand. The player usually judges the ball location by sound, reaches the ball with the body, then picks up the ball. If the batter hasn’t reached the base by then, the batter is out.

Below is the clip of batting practice

 

 

 

Highlights and snapshots from our visit:

賴先生跟我們說盲人棒球隊的教練林春佑先生是臺中的計程車司機，林教練剛開始聽到盲人棒球覺得癡人說夢話，但進一步了解後深受感動，就來當義務教練。林教練曾經帶領臺灣盲棒獲得三次世界冠軍。教練真是有愛心與毅力。我們看到教練在訓練打擊時，跟視障選手的絕佳默契，居然靠球感與節奏就能讓選手揮到棒球，真是不可思議。

 

 

 

 

Mr. Lai told us Coach Lin is a taxi driver from Taichung. When he first heard about blind baseball, he didn’t believe it was possible. Once he knew about it, he was touched and volunteered to be the coach. Coach Lin has led the team to won three world championships. He’s very loving and patient. We watched Coach Lin train the players’ batting. It is amazing that the players and the coach share such excellent tacit understanding. Simply relying on rhythm, the players were able to hit the ball.

 

 

Below is the clip of Ming-Han’s batting

 

 

 

We were little helpers on the filed. We helped to find batted balls and led the players in and out of the field. Tzu-Hsuan also helped to lead the players to the restroom. It was the first time Tzu-Hsuan ever guided a blind friend. Tzu-Hsuan was nervous at first. The blind friend was kindly enough to tell Tzu-Hsuan that he only needed to be warned when making turns.

 

 

 

Mr. Kui-Jui Chang came to practice with his guide dog Effem. When Effem was unleashed, she started running around the field. When they are off duty, guide dogs enjoy playing like other dogs. Since Effem was not on duty, we touched and took pictures with her. We all wanted to have a lovely dog like Effem.

 

 

 

Association convenor Mr. Lai let us play a game with eye patches on. In one minute, we had to find three balls and stop the beeping balls by inserting the bolt to the balls. We failed the first time, but since we all insisted to keep trying, we finished the game.

 

Below is the clip of Jou-Chun while playing the game

 

 

Stainless kitchen utensil retailer Mr. Chen-Kuang Wang gave us one of his Braille business cards. We were really excited to feel it because we had only seen Braille menu and poker cards. Mr. Chen-Kuang said the association has changed the stereotype that the blind could only work as masseurs. Players of the team include a merchant, a street performer, a tuner, and a computer engineer.

 

 

Afterthoughts:

Yen-Ching: We had fun visiting the baseball team. It was especially interesting to find and bat balls with eye patches on. Although I failed the one minute three balls challenge, I enjoyed the game! I nearly missed the ball when batting. It was really exciting. Luckily I hit the ball at last. The most amazing thing about Mr. Lai’s introduction is that both the pitcher and the batter are in the same team, which is very different from what we know about baseball. We watched them practicing batting and fielding. I hope we’ll have the chance to see a real game.

Pei-Yu: We visited the blind baseball team under Dahan Bridge this Sunday. We saw many people practice batting with eye patches on. The balls they used were as big as soft balls, and they make sounds. They told us there are only the first and the third bases for blind baseball. Points are given once the base is obtained. There were spotters on the field. Batters get four strikes and one pass ball. When the batter hits the ball, the spotter has to make the bases sound. The runners run toward the bases. Basically, the pitcher and the catcher are sighted. The ball has to travel for at least 40 feet for striking. Otherwise it is sentenced to be a foul ball. As for home runs, the ball has to travel for at least 60 feet in the air. We not only learned about the rules of blind baseball, we also had a great time. I hope we’ll be able to see a game next time.

 

Jou-Chun: I didn’t know it was possible for the blind to play baseball until today’s visit! The practice seemed to be very difficult. Normally we catch the ball with hands, but the players used their bodies. Not everyone in the team is blind. Three of them are visioned. They are the pitcher, the catcher, and the spotter. One more thing makes blind baseball different is the pitcher and the batter are in the same team. Before we left, Coach Lin let us experience the game. It was very difficult. I hope the team will win another world championship. The premise is they will have to raise enough money for traveling. I hope people will be more supportive to the team and give them a chance to win honor for Taiwan.

 

Ming-Han: At first I thought it was easy to play blind baseball, but it was actually difficult. From the games we played today, I realized I was better at inserting the bolt to the balls. I only hit one ball with patches on. The players are really amazing.

 

Wen-Hung: The players are amazing. They cannot see, but they can get the balls easily. If I were in the game, I should have been hit by the ball. It teaches us that the blind are as active as us.

 

Tzu-Hsuan: We were six children and five adults to watch the practice under Dahan Bridge. I helped lead a blind player to the restroom. He placed his hand on my shoulder and followed me. He told me to remind him first if we were making any turns. In order not to disturb players from hearing the beep sound and the instructions, the player assigned to introduce the team to us said the audience should be silent while watching the game. It is one thing very different from watching a regular baseball game.