Lions of Bridgewater

Welcome, back folks! Here we are: bottom of the 6th inning. 3 to 3; tie ballgame. The outfield is layered, playing deep. It has been a real dual here this afternoon. After some early inning heroics, both teams seem to have settled in for the long haul. The batter steps up to the plate… sets… here’s the pitch–

If you’ve never seen (or even heard of) beep baseball, you’re probably not alone. The Association of Blind Citizens operates a program allowing visually impaired individuals the opportunity to play baseball in a competitive environment. The game is called Beep Baseball. The team is called the Boston Renegades. It is comprised of visually impaired athletes and volunteer coaches from the greater Boston area.

Beep baseball is an adaptive form of baseball for the blind. 2008 marks the seventh year the Renegades have competed at the National level. For the first time Boston opened a season in New York. For the first time ever, Boston beat New York in their house. For the first time ever, Boston won a tournament. It took six years of hard work but in the 7th season, Boston earned its first piece of hardware taking the title away from the two-time defending champion host team. And they are itching to extend there winning streak to Bridgewater!

The Bridgewater Community Lions Club is hosting a “knock down, drag out, winner-take-all slug fest” against the Boston Renegades on August 23rd at the (new) Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School varsity softball field. Activities will run from 10AM to 3PM with the game scheduled to start at high noon. We’re looking for sponsors, players, and spectators to come watch the local town talent “match their baseball wits” (i.e. play blind-folded) against an awesome team. There will be food, fun, and a chance for you to experience what it’s like to play beep baseball. Think it’s easy? Think again! Think it’s fun? You bet!

To get you in the mood, here is an excerpt from the recent showdown between the Boston Renegades and the Pennsylvania Wolfpack:

By the way, everyone you saw swinging the bat and fielding the ball in that video clip was blind. If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a few hours, bring your family out for an afternoon of baseball you are guaranteed not to forget. Come help the Bridgewater Community Lions Club support the Association of Blind Citizens and other local charities. You can view or download a copy of the flyer here (MS-Word Doc). If you’re interested in playing (or sponsoring a player), you can download the form here (PDF).