Hoy the Puffup

William E. Hoy

In October, 1961, at Crowley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio, an old, deaf gentleman named William E. Hoy stood up to toss out the first ball of the World Series. Most people at Crowley Field on that day probably did not remember Hoy because he had retired from professional baseball 58 years earlier, in 1903. However, he had been an outstanding player and the deaf community still talks about him and his years in baseball.

William E. Hoy was born in Houckstown, Ohio, on May 23, 1862. He became deaf when he was two years old. He attended the Columbus Ohio School for the Deaf. After graduation, he started playing semi-pro baseball while working as a shoemaker.

deaf = cannot hear specific range of sound
Deaf= a group of people tied together by ASL and culture and history

*Never use the term "hearing impaired" when talking about someone who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. Deaf people (capital "D") do take offense if called so.

**Information found at Gallaudet University website.