Baseball hitting might seem to be an unusual pursuit for deaf people, but there’s no reason that it can’t be accomplished. Being deaf doesn’t make it any harder to hit the ball than it is for someone who doesn’t have any kind of hearing related disability, after all. Anyone can learn to hit a baseball and do it well.

All the same basic requirements exist for people with hearing impairment as for anyone else who wants to learn how to hit well. The body and mind must work together in unison and the batter needs to be able to concentrate effectively. Integrating into the larger community is actually much more difficult than simply learning to hit a baseball. In fact, some of the great players of history have actually been deaf or hearing impaired.

Baseball signs may actually have been developed by and to aid deaf players in the early part of the game. For instance, one player from the late 1800s, William Ellsworth Hoy, is still in the top twenty-five base stealers of all time, and was also deaf. Many baseball signs currently in use have been credited to him, though they’re also credited to an umpire from many years later, called Bill Klem. Hoy’s roommate wrote that the deaf player had asked umpires to signal rather than shout, so that he would understand what was going on in the field.

Luther Taylor was another early baseball player with a hearing disability. This pitcher player for the New York Giants and assisted them in winning the pennants in 1904 and 1905. He was reprimanded for signing to his team by umpire who also knew American Sign Language, suggesting that knowledge of signs was more widespread in baseball than we might think. Later on, Edward Dundon played for the Atlanta Braves, and became the first professional deaf umpire. More recent deaf players have included Curtis Pride and Ryan Ketchner.

It’s clear that deafness is not a problem when playing baseball, if the player is dedicated enough. However, many deaf people don’t get the opportunity to join in on sports, since conventional sports are generally run by those without hearing impairments. Many coaches and other players just aren’t willing to make the effort to include people with hearing related disabilities. Fortunately, there are organizations which host baseball games and teach baseball hitting for deaf people.

For instance, the USADSF and Gallaudet University have hosted conferences for deaf baseball, including round robin tournaments. Gallaudet fields a baseball team made up of hearing impaired players regularly. This sort of activity allows deaf players and players with hearing disabilities to get involved in the game. There’s no reason that a disability should keep anyone from playing baseball.

So, what should deaf players concentrate on when it comes to hitting? Mostly, the same things as non-disabled players. After all, hitting is mostly about hand-eye coordination and timing. Hitters need to learn which pitches are good and which are bad, to choose a bat that’s comfortable for them to handle, and to remain in the appropriate position at all times. Body position is extremely important when it comes to successful baseball hitting.

Every player has strengths and weaknesses, and being able to identify them is one of the most important parts of learning to hit well. Deaf players as well as hearing ones can learn to find their strengths and play to them, without running into problems. It’s actually quite simple, as long as the player is capable of being observant enough. Coaches and other players should be willing to help with this. Players should look for a team or league where the other people they’ll be playing with are willing to learn to sign in order to make communication easier.

Baseball hitting for deaf people is just like baseball hitting for hearing people - it’s all about learning positioning, timing, and how to handle the bat. Deaf people make excellent baseball players, and with a little effort on the part of their fellow players and the officials of the game, they’ll have no problem participating to the fullest.