The Miami Marlins Foundation teamed up with the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MLH) for a modified game of baseball on Tuesday, July 8. The participants in the event are enrolled in pre-employment transition services, a program that prepares those blind and visually impaired aged 14–22 to enter the workforce or higher education. The curriculum includes training in assistive technology, job readiness, home management, mobility, and social skills.
The annual event allows students from Miami Lighthouse and Marlins front office staff to connect and play an adaptive game of baseball using only their ears. Beep ball utilizes auditory cues to guide players through the game. A beeping ball and bases allow players to rely entirely on sound to hit, run, and field.
“The Beep Baseball Classic came about in 2014 when the Miami Marlins Foundation reached out to Miami Lighthouse, and ever since it’s been going strong,” said Cameron Sisser, Senior Vice President at Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
“This is just a priceless experience for them to be on a Major League Baseball field. Not many people get to do that, so we are very lucky that the Foundation has invited us here. Beep baseball really reinforces what Miami Lighthouse teaches — that it is possible to see without sight.”
The players split into three teams, so they all got a chance to hit and field. The beeping ball was placed on a tee for the players to swing at and eventually hit and run to the base that beeped. Out in the field, after the ball was hit, players followed the sound of the ball until it was in their possession. Whichever team caught the ball or reached the base first earned a point.
“It’s very special to come to the ballpark because I’ve never been a sports player, so this is my first time playing baseball,” said a student from the MLH Pre-Employment Transition Services program. “It makes me feel very good because most of these kids haven’t laid their hands on a baseball, but now they get to explore more and experience more with different people who are fully sighted.
“And those fully sighted people can get to know how hard it is to be a blind or visually impaired person.”
Marlins legend and alumnus Jeff Conine, joined by his son, current Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine, added excitement to the event. The Conine’s helped guide players as they hit, fielded, and even took swings of their own with blindfolds on.
“To be able to help the visually impaired and the blind play baseball with this unique setup is beneficial for everyone,” said Griffin Conine. “As a baseball player, it’s special to see youth and even adults come out here and be able to enjoy the game that I’ve been playing for so long.
“This game is still baseball — it still has the basic premise of running, hitting, and fielding, and having a good time while doing so. To be able to have the technology to allow the visually impaired to play our game just puts a smile on my face.”
Jeff Conine echoed his son’s sentiments, saying, “It’s joyous to be out here, see the technology they use, and watch the students get involved and engaged in the game. You can hear the excitement when they make contact with the ball, and run to their sounding beacon, and score runs. It’s fun. We love it.”
The collaboration between the Marlins Foundation and the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind not only highlights the power of community partnership but also offers young people a memorable and inclusive introduction to America’s pastime.
The Beep Ball Classic is one of two summer collaborations between the Miami Marlins Foundation and Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. Later this month, on July 23, the MLH Pre-Employment Transition Program will return for a Sensory Tour at loanDepot park, a one-of-a-kind, hands-on experience.