The 25th annual Beep Baseball World Series was held Saturday in Rochester.
It may look like a typical baseball game, but these players have an added challenge: they're blind.
"Everybody has to work together as one," said player Sherlock Washington.
Washington has been playing beep ball for fifteen years.
"It’s something I’ve been doing since 1995. Every summer I look forward to it because it gives me an opportunity to play with some of the best guys in the whole entire country," said Washington.
Here's how the game works: the pitcher, who can see, pitches to a member of his own team. When the ball is hit the hitter runs to one of two buzzing bases that look like punching bags. If he reaches the base before the ball is grabbed by an outfielder, a run is scored. But if an outfielder gets the ball first, the runner is out.
"We have to know where everybody is on the field at all times there's got to be constant communication," said Washington.
Event Manager Ben Boldt says Rochester first hosted this event back in 2007. With great support from the community and the economic impact it brought to town, they wanted to host again. He says what's most enjoyable is watching the players compete.
"They’re athletes just like any of the rest of us would be that play a sport and they have a lot of fun and they compete hard and it's a great event," said Boldt.
Washington says teamwork is critical in a game like this.
"We all work together to come to a common goal which is to put a great team together to succeed," said Washington.
But the thing that keeps him coming back year after year is simply the love of the game.
"Rain or shine we just enjoy this game immensely and whatever we can do to be apart of it that's what we're willing to do," said Washington.
15 teams total competed in Rochester over the last week. 14 of those teams were from the U.S and one from Taiwan.
Next year's World Series will be in Indianapolis. Boldt says Rochester will probably bid for the series again in a couple years.
For more information about the National Beep Ball Association you can visit their website.
