
	Dummy Hoy, a late 19th-Century baseball player, was deaf.  In
order for him to be able to find out whether the pitch was a ball or
strike, the umpires developed hand signals.  This also helped to relieve
the stress on umpires' vocal cords, so they didn't have to shout "STRIKE!!!"
or "BALL!!!!!" 350 times a game...
	Heard about this one from the only worthwhile baseball book
John Thorn has ever authored, "A Century of Baseball Lore" :-) 