Set, Ready, Pitch
Catch The Rhythm Of Beep Ball
by Clarence Schadegg
The cheers rise up from behind
the fence. Fans stand on the benches, a collage of voices rooting
for their favorite players. Suddenly, a hush blankets the crowd as
the batter takes his place at the plate. The pitcher, standing a
mere twenty feet from the batter, calls out “Set… ready… pitch” as
the sixteen inch beeping softball is thrown underhanded. The batter, braced for
action, swings; the crack of the bat is heard around the ballpark. The announcers,
caught up in the euphoria of the moment, peel off one metaphor after another.
This is the game of Beep Ball.
The St. Paul Midway
Lion’s season ended last year with a thrilling
22-5 victory over a rookie team of local celebrities. Now the 2007
season is in full swing.
At our first practice,
it was clear that we still had some of that winning 2006 form.
Kent, the pitcher, warmed up by tossing the soft ball at a height
and speed for best contact with the bat. Kevin took his place in
the batter’s box with the bat in hand. The pitcher
stepped back several more feet and threw the ball. Crack, oohhhh,
aahhh. “It’s an automatic home run,” shouted coach
Dennis Stern. No need to chase after the ball, I thought. It’s
long gone! And I, for one, did not hear the ball fly past me. I think
it must have crossed the railroad tracks. No, it was hit so hard
it probably landed somewhere on I-94, several miles away.
Next up was Tom, who
approached the batter’s box with his
heavy wooden bat. Since he was a left-handed hitter, I wondered if
he would hit the ball towards me or drive it to right field. The
bat and ball connected, and fielders scram-bled for the ground ball.
Nancy ran to her right. Marilynn dove to her left, stopping the ball
with her outstretched arm. Just then, one of the two sighted spotters
called out “SAFE!” Tom got his run.
Beep Ball is not exactly
like conventional baseball. If any of the players have sight, blind
folds are pulled down snuggly over their eyes to block out any
residual vision (except for the pitcher, who is sighted). We rely
only on our hearing to hit or catch the balls. We don’t deal
with fast-balls or curve-balls. After hitting the ball, we run
to a chest-high cone-shaped beeping base one hundred feet away
to either the batter’s left or right. Elbow pads
and knee pads are standard equipment. The reason for these cushions
to the body becomes clear when the defensive team takes the field.
Six players take their places in the infield and outfield positions.
We don’t catch the fly ball with a glove. Rather, enthusiastic
sideways divers hurl themselves horizontally to prevent the offensive
team from scoring. The trick is to use your entire body to stop the
ball. Then grab it with your hand and raise it high over your head
so the opponent will not get the points for the run. Fielders dart
from one spot to another in blinded excitement, trying to prevent
a successful home run. There is a pattern to these choreographic
movements of the fielders, much like that of any other baseball
team that performs this traditional American art form.
The pitch is made on
a three beat rhythm—set, ready, pitch.
The batter swings the bat to strike the ball, and the beeping ball
is heard as it flies through the air. Infielders instantly race in
the direction of the ball. If the soft ball gets past the infielder,
he or she will yell out “It’s to my right,” or “It’s
to my left.” The outfielder will then make quick moves to catch
the ball. Spotters announce with either high or low voice-inflection
to indicate whether the ball is a long shot or a short shot.
Despite the fact that
all players except the pitcher and the spotters wear sleep shades,
in my two years of beep ball, I’ve never
observed an injury caused by player-to-player contact. Like in traditional
baseball, it could happen—it is simply a risk we take in playing
this game. But in the thrill of the sport, along with the exercise
and team cooperation, such worries take second place. It’s
time for a fun game at a ballpark.
To sign up for this
exciting sport, contact Coach Dennis Stern at 651-452-5324; dennisstern@comcast.net and join with those of us who make up the Saint Paul Lion’s
team. Any team or business that wants to challenge the Saint Paul
Lion’s can also contact Dennis Stern.
