Beep Baseball at Crows Woods

Members of the Haddonfield Lions Club will be at Crows Woods on Saturday, July 12, to help out at the Philly Hall of Fame Classic.

For the second year in a row, this day-long Beep Baseball tournament, sponsored by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame and presented in conjunction with the Blind Sports Organization will be held at the Crows Woods sports fields and will be supported with off-field assistance by the Haddonfield Lions.

 Three teams will compete in three games in the tournament: the Pennsylvania Wolfpack, the Boston Renegades, and the Cleveland Scrappers. The first game begins at 8:30am, the second at 11am, and the third at 2pm. Each game lasts approximately two hours, although, just as in the traditional form of the sport, some games can go longer.

Beep baseball is a form of America's pastime that was developed in the 1970’s for blind and visually-impaired players. The game uses audible balls and bases – a 16-inch round ball that beeps and bases that buzz. The bases are actually poles set at the first base and third base position, each 100 feet from home plate. And, to even the playing field (pun fully intended) and not give an advantage to those with some ability to see, all batters and fielders wear a blindfold.

The local team, the Pennsylvania Wolfpack, is based in Upper Darb PA, and is coached by Greg Gontaryk, who started playing beep baseball in the early 1980’s, and former Boston Renegades player, physical therapist Carolyn Tassini. The Wolfpack practices every Sunday from 9:30am to 1pm, from April through July, and Gontaryk says he would love to see more players – and especially young players – become involved with the sport.

"The name of the game is speed," Gontaryk says, as a run is scored when the batter reaches the buzzing base before a fielder gains control of the ball. And, since many of the Wolfpack players are in their 40’s and above, Gontaryk notes that they "aren't quite so fast anymore."

Another critical component to a successful beep baseball program is having dedicated volunteers. While the hitter and fielders are blind and visually impaired, the pitcher and catcher, and the spotters in the field, are sighted players. "The pitcher is really the main part of the game," Gontaryk emphasizes, because his or her job is to get the ball to where the bat is. Gontaryk points out that the volunteer players and assistants are essential to the team, and he proudly notes that his grandson does double-duty in games as both a spotter and a catcher.

Gontaryk also gives kudos to the Wolfpack's batting instructor, Bob Memory. "Bob, together with his wife, Linda, are basically the backbone of the team." Lastly, Gontaryk acknowledges the tremendous contribution made by Carolyn Tassini. "She is a terrific spotter," he says. "We would be lost without her."

For more information about the beep baseball program or about this Saturday's tournament, contact Greg Gontaryk at 610-352-1389 or Carolyn Tassini at 781-354-4323.

To volunteer at the game with the Haddonfield Lions Club, call Christine Clancey at 856-429-4447.