Washington, DC - On
Sunday, April 8, 2001, Gallaudet University will dedicate
its baseball field in honor of William
"Dummy" Hoy, who played
professional baseball from 1886 to 1902 and who is
credited with inventing the hand signals used by
umpires.
Hoy, who was deafened at the age of
2 and attended the Ohio School for the Deaf, played for
the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Senators. He asked
the umpires to raise their right arm to signify and
strike and left arm to signify a ball. In 1961, at the
age of 99, Hoy threw out the ceremonial first pitch to
open the World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and New
York Yankees. Two months later on December 15, Hoy passed
away.
On Sunday, April 8, a breakfast and
program, by invitation only, will be held in the
University's cafeteria from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Invited
guests and speakers include Brooks Robinson, former
Baltimore Oriole third baseman, Buck O'Neil, a member of
the Veterans Committee, and Miriam Skaggs, a relative of
Hoy.
After the breakfast, the guests
will proceed to the baseball field where a plaque will be
unveiled to commemorate the dedication of William "Dummy"
Hoy Baseball Field.
Everyone is welcome to attend the
dedication ceremony and watch the double header the
Gallaudet Bison will play against Lincoln University.
Persons wishing to attend the dedication ceremony at the
baseball field should arrive at noontime. The baseball
game will begin immediately following the
ceremony.
To read more about the life of
William "Dummy" Hoy, click
here.