The Southport Police Department will send its officers in blindfolded when they compete in beep baseball games against the Indy Edge and Indy Thunder on Saturday at Southport Park.
The Greenwood-based Edge will play the police at 9:30 a.m.; the Thunder will play against the officers at 11 a.m.; and the Edge and Thunder will compete at 2:15 p.m.
“All of these guys are competitors,” said Darnell Booker, founder of the Thunder.
Beep baseball is designed for blind or visually impaired people. A game lasts six innings with three outs per inning. There are only two bases, which buzz when activated. When the ball is hit the runner must identify which base to run to before the ball is fielded. If the runner is safe, a run is scored. A batter is allowed four strikes.
“We have a saying about beep baseball that applause is necessary, but silence is golden,” Booker said. “The batter has to focus on the base they have to run to, and the fielder has to focus on tracking the ball, finding it.”
The Thunder and RHI Extreme scrimmaged at the park, 6901 Derbyshire Road, last year. As Southport police watched the game, Chief Thomas Vaughn said he thought it would be fun to pit his officers against the professionals.
“I was impressed by the way to play the game,” Vaughn said. “I thought it would be fun for us to do something outside of our comfort zone. The Southport Lions Club (event sponsor) has been so great to us, donating body cameras, AEDs and Narcan, that we wanted to help them raise money for another organization. It is the ideal thing to do.”
The Greenwood-based Edge will play the police at 9:30 a.m.; the Thunder will play against the officers at 11 a.m.; and the Edge and Thunder will compete at 2:15 p.m.
“All of these guys are competitors,” said Darnell Booker, founder of the Thunder.
Beep baseball is designed for blind or visually impaired people. A game lasts six innings with three outs per inning. There are only two bases, which buzz when activated. When the ball is hit the runner must identify which base to run to before the ball is fielded. If the runner is safe, a run is scored. A batter is allowed four strikes.
“We have a saying about beep baseball that applause is necessary, but silence is golden,” Booker said. “The batter has to focus on the base they have to run to, and the fielder has to focus on tracking the ball, finding it.”
The Thunder and RHI Extreme scrimmaged at the park, 6901 Derbyshire Road, last year. As Southport police watched the game, Chief Thomas Vaughn said he thought it would be fun to pit his officers against the professionals.
“I was impressed by the way to play the game,” Vaughn said. “I thought it would be fun for us to do something outside of our comfort zone. The Southport Lions Club (event sponsor) has been so great to us, donating body cameras, AEDs and Narcan, that we wanted to help them raise money for another organization. It is the ideal thing to do.”
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