Read: I Corinthians 1:16 - 31
Hoy Was No Dummy
"God uses the weak things to confound the mighty..." -- I Corinthians 1:27.
Reprint from USA Today - May 6, 1987 "Umpires learned signs from 'Dummy.' It was a cruel nickname even for the times, but William Ellsworth 'Dummy' Hoy not only handled it and the hearing and speech handicap that prompted it, he excelled as a major league baseball player for fourteen years (1888-1902). Hoy is credited with inspiring umpire signals. Hoy was deaf and as a means of communicating with him the umpires began signaling or signing 'safe' and 'out.' A deaf man inspired the beginning of hand signals used in baseball.
"William Ellsworth 'Dummy' Hoy's statistics were 2,054 hits, l,798 games, .288 batting average. These stats merit the Hall of Fame, but he also belongs in the Hall of Fame because 'This is the man who invented the umpires signals.'
"It is encouraging to see what one deaf person can do! This one man did not let his handicap of deafness stop him. He played 14 years in professional baseball. He was just 5'4" tall and weighed only 148 pounds but he was a big man in baseball. He played for Washington, Cincinnati and Chicago in the National League. He died at the age of 99 in 1961."
Just think of it, every time you see an umpire signal a call in the game, it started because of a deaf man. This man made a great difference in the world of sports.
The Lord needs some deaf men, women and young people to make a great difference in the world today. Deaf Christians can become missionaries, preachers, evangelists, teachers, workers and helpers in the ministry.
It is good that the Lord calls some hearing people to go into the deaf world. It is also good when deaf people help other deaf people. A deaf person understands the deaf world better and can make a greater difference. A deaf person can help to change his family, friends and future. Hoy was no dummy...he made a difference in the sports world. [TGC]
THOT: Deaf people are not dumb--they can make a difference.
TODAY: Make a difference in someone's life.