Last month the Highline Times featured Burien resident, Kevin Daniel, and the Seattle South King Sluggers blind beep baseball team he is helping to organize. You can read that article here.

Daniel is seeing impaired and works as a job recruiter for Lighthouse for the Blind in Seattle. However, they are not affiliated with the Sluggers.

After lining up sponsorships and a ball field, a tryout and first practice date has been set, and Daniel invites men and women in the seeing impaired community to try out, or just cheer on participants, Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at Walt Hundley Park (Field #2), 6920 34th Av. SW. in West Seattle.

Metro route #21 services this area, and the ball field is a few blocks away.

For more information how to get involved, please contact:

Kevin Daniel
Head Coach
206-979-5616
kdaniel29@ymail.com

Click here for beep ball explanation from www.Brailleworks.com

Kevin Daniel said the June 2 & 3 event is primarily geared for the seeing impaired to attend. However, he is planning a community meet-and-greet toward the end of June where all are encouraged to attend.

About the Sluggers, offered by Kevin Daniel:

The Sluggers are composed of Blind and Visually Impaired men and women from the Seattle area who love to play beep baseball. The team will officially begin preparation for competitive play on May 18, 2013. The Sluggers are the newest members of the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA); a league comprised of 28 teams from the U.S. and Taiwan all looking to be league champions.

What is beep baseball?

Beep Baseball also known as Beep Ball is similar to the traditional game of baseball, but has been slightly modified. Sixteen inch beeping balls and four foot tall buzzing bases are used during games. With these minor adaptations, visually impaired athletes can participate in highly competitive tournaments with teams across the country each year.

Beep baseball is a competitive sport: Just like regular baseball, beep ball is extremely competitive. In beep ball, good athletes can have batting averages above .500 (five hundred). Additionally, it is common to see players run the bases in six seconds or less in the effort to arrive before the blind outfielders stop the ball.

Beep Baseball helps build life skills: In addition to being an entertaining recreational sport, beep baseball helps players develop life skills. Beep baseball is one of few team activities available for the visually impaired. As such, Beep baseball enhances a players cooperation with others, perseverance, independence, confidence and leadership skills.

We’d Like Your Support! The game requires specially adapted equipment. For example, a 16” softball fitted with the rechargeable beeper costs $35, and depending on how hard it is hit may not last an entire game. A set of bases costs $375. Because we desire to be a competitive and winning team, we must travel to play in tournaments outside our area. These factors increase the cost for the players to participate.

Your help will make a big difference: Your participation will make it possible for the players to represent the Seattle area in 2013 regional and national tournaments. This year, please consider donating to the Seattle South King Sluggers Beep Baseball Team. Your support will help our players and team showcase ability as well as the competitive and winning spirit of persons who are blind.