William “Dummy” Hoy

1st deaf major-leaguer

•Born May 23, 1862 on a farm in Houcktown, Ohio•Born Hearing

• Age 2 or 3- became deaf from “brain fever” (spinal meningitis)

• Had 3 Hearing brothers• No school until 10 yrs old• Went to “the Deaf and Dumb Institute”

(now Ohio School for the Deaf)

Ohio School For the Deaf Circa 1900

• OSD was 1st school for the Deaf to have baseball

• Hoy was trained in shoemaking

• Graduated 1879- valedictorian –after only 8 years of education

• Returned home & opened shoe-repair shop

• Business was slow in summertime- Why?

• Hoy & his 3 brothers joined the “Stonewall Jackson” club (amateur team)

• Played as catcher• Under estimated as he

was small (5’4’’ or 5’5’’ tall 145-155 lbs)

• Invited to play on other teams locally-

• Decided he was good enough to try pro baseball

• Age 24, (1886)closed his shop, boarded a train in middle of night to Milwaukee, Wisconsin

• Didn’t tell his strict parents Why?

• 1886- began pro career in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for $75 a month= how much today?

• Later- went home, sold the shop, & got the blessing from his parents

• “Dummy”- nickname for any Deaf player- Hoy proud to be called “Dummy” Why?

Hand Signals

• Taught his teammates fingerspelling & signs

• They used them as “secret” signals during games

• 1887- asked teammate/coach to use his arms to signal strikes & balls

MAJOR LEAGUE TIME

• 1888- Joins Washington Senators

• Led national league in base stealing after rookie year (82)

• June 18, 1889- did something incredible against Indianapolis…What ????

Washington Senators Field circa 1901

• 1890- joined Buffalo Brotherhood team

• 1891 joined St. Louis Browns

• 1892 back to Washington• 1894- sold to Cincinnati

Reds (4 seasons)>>> 1894 team

• 1898- traded to Louisville Colonels

• 1901- Chicago White Sox… May 1st- hit 2nd grand-slam home run in new American League. They won the pennant

1902 returned to RedsAugust 7, 1902- Reds released him

End of Baseball Career

• 1,792 games in major leagues• .291 lifetime batting average• Finished career in Los Angeles in winter league• Married Anna Maria Lowery (Deaf) in 1903• 3 children- Carmen, Clover, Carson• 1903- bought dairy farm Cincinnati, Ohio• Sold farm in 1924• Coached Goodyear Silents1919-1920

Hoy Honored

• 1951- 1st player in AAAD hall of fame• October 7, 1961- tossed 1st ball at

Opening Day of 3rd World Series game Reds vs Yankees at Crosley Field

• Finally………..

• December 15, 1961- died of a stroke (99 years old)

Should he be in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

William Hoy Film

• Location- My Videos