Baseball of the 19th century was America's most popular spectator sport. Professional teams like the 1889 Brooklyn Bridegrooms drew nearly a half a million fans per season. Imagine watching one of those earliest games, in the presence of thousands of fans but without the benefit of the signals on the diamond that guide us through the modern game. There were no signals for strike, safe, out or foul and no announcer to interpret the game. Prior to the invention of baseball signs, the only signal was the umpire's voice, consumed by the roar of thousands of excited fans. Where did the signs of baseball originate? Who invented them? Signs of the Time explores the origins of this pivotal innovation and the baseball pioneers that changed the course of the game and history.
Several have laid claim to the signs and signals that have so profoundly influenced America's game but only two deserve consideration. The first is William Klem, the most significant umpire of the last century and the first to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He spent nearly forty years in professional baseball from 1905 to 1942, influencing many of the greatest legends of the game. He was well known for his authoritative style behind the plate and his boastful demeanor in public.
The second man was the antithesis of Klem, modest and reserved, succeeding on natural physical talent and steely determination. At 5'4" and 145 pounds, William "Dummy" Hoy was considered small to be a professional player. Showing promise at the plate and making up for his size in the outfield with speed and great instincts, Hoy was drafted by the professional Oshkosh Baseball Club in 1886. Although he was short, his stature was not his greatest obstacle. Since the age of two, he was profoundly deaf and unable to speak. Through his career from 1886-1903, Hoy was admired by his teammates, revered by the fans, and became the most celebrated deaf player in the history of big-league baseball.
Both of these unique men made significant contributions to the game and each has laid claim to the signs of baseball. But like the origins of the game itself, the genesis of baseball's greatest innovation is steeped in legend and fraught with polarizing opinions. Signs of the Time is a dynamic story of triumph over adversity that exposes the myths and mysteries of the game with fascinating anecdotes of the past, historically accurate depictions of early baseball and interviews with the most influential names of the game. The signs of baseball now transcend the game. They have become an integral part of our collective consciousness, influencing not only the way we view America's game but also how we view our culture.
