The sound of the beep...the crack of the bat

The Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team recently made a donation to an outstanding group of individuals. They are called SAAVI (Southern Arizona for the Visually Impaired).

The organization promotes the independence and the quality of life for those with vision loss in southern Arizona. They are the behind-the-scene supporters of the SAAVI BeepBall team, The Slammers. The Tucson team plays on Saturday mornings at Mansfield Park. In BeepBall there are just two bases, first and third, and the two are equipped with beepers that go off when the batter hits the ball. If the runner reaches base before the fielders touch the ball it is a run.

The defenders, situated mostly in the outfield, listen for the beep of the ball, and then try to get to the ball, or in some cases dive for the ball (to the delight of the crowd, I may add), before the runner hits the elongated pads at the respective base. It is fun for the SAAVI athletes and it gets very competitive, especially when they face competition from other parts of the country. It is obvious the participants respect the game of baseball and you can't help but admire how they play America's pastime within the rules that have been set up for BeepBall.

As a spokesman and a player for the TOTS, I can say without a doubt, that we salute all the BeepBall players for a job well done. Hats off to them. After I researched this story, I had a baseball game the very next day. I trotted out to my spot at third base and I closed my eyes, and for just a second I thought I heard a beep. I shook my head, tipped my hat toward the clouds above...and then waited for the crack of the bat.

(For more information on the SAAVI and BeepBall, please call 520 795 1331).