PRESENTATION OUTLINE
William Ellsworth Hoy had the nickname "Dummy." Dumb was used to describe someone who couldn't speak. Often times he'd correct people from calling him William and preferred Dummy, which is how he got his nickname.
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- Born in Houcks town, Ohio on May, 23 1862.
- During childhood he lost his hearing due to an illness
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- Graduated Ohio School for the Deaf
- Began his professional career in 1886 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
- Played for 15 years as an outfielder on 5 different major league teams
Umpires would shout all the calls, so Dummy and his coach used hand signals. His 3rd base coach would raise his right arm for strikes, and his left arm for a ball.
Because of Dummy hand signals became a part of the game throughout umpires, players and managers.
He was a crowd pleaser, as well. The crowd would jump up wildly and wave with their arms, so that Dummy could see them cheering him on after a great play!
He finished his career in Los Angeles for the Pacific Coast Winter League, after playing 1,792 games (a record) in the major leagues, with stats of:
2,000 hits
1,400 runs
594 stolen bases
Hoy's very last play secured the 1903 pennant for his team. In 1951, he was the 1st player to be entered in the American Athletic Association for the Deaf's Hall of Fame. To this day, people are fighting to get him into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
He made history for the deaf community from the start of his career to his death in 1961, at the age of 99.
