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Posted By: Julie

don't know how I forgot the E.R. Williams--since I have (1) E.R. Williams. Never heard of the copper plate, though.

I said what i said very casually, but I've thought long and hard about it. Hoy himself said his being deaf was a HELP to him--he wasn't always being distracted by the raucus crowd or players yelling. Once he came to an agreement with a third base coach to flash him a sign for balls and strikes,--his second year--his average went way up. I think he played very, very good ball. But I don't think he belongs in the Hall JUST because he was deaf. However, I think it VERY LIKELY that he did, personally, introduce the hand signals--and in my mind, that qualifies him for the Hall of Fame, together with his very nifty numbers. When you stop to think about it, introducing those hand signals is integrally bound up WITH his being deaf, so I guess you could say that yes, his handicap should give him a boost.