Beep ball is a form of
baseball for the
blind. As the name implies, a standard
softball baseball has a beeper inserted into it. The ball emits a loud beeping sound when thrown and the sightless batter uses the sound to locate and whack the ball. Naturally the blind fielders and basemen try to catch the ball based on its beeping.
To aid runners, bases are replaced with
traffic cones that also emit their own beep. Second base, a tricky enough base for even the sighted, is removed in beep ball. Home, first, and the oddly and inaccurately named
third base are retained. Any ball hit beyond 180 feet is considered a
home run.
While the game is primarily for the blind, sighted players have a part. Each team requires a sighted
pitcher and
catcher. Experienced beep ball teams frequently get matched up against sighted-but-blindfolded pro ball players and usually trounce
MLB teams.
Beep ball was developed by the
Bell/
AT&T corporation back in the late '60s and early '70s. A volunteer group within
Ma Bell called the
Telephone Pioneers developed the game. The Telephone Pioneers is a group of current and retired technical types who volunteer time to develop phone technology into aids for the handicapped.