Beep baseball World Series includes team of blind Minnesotans

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The 48th annual Beep Baseball World Series is underway, and a Twin Cities team is representing Minnesota.

The Minnesota Millers hit the field of play with the attitude of Olympians.

"The individual can be recognized for their talents, and it's athleticism at its finest," captain Stephen Guerra told FOX 9.

The Twin Cities-based team traveled to Missouri for the Beep Baseball World Series this week. A "beep" baseball team consists of players who have varying degrees of blindness.

Six players take the field wearing blindfolds. The hitter also wears a blindfold, and their coach pitches to them. They announce the pitch for everyone to hear, and the hitter swings at a beeping ball.

No matter how hard you think that is, it’s harder.

"It's incredibly difficult to hit a ball," said Guerra.

When they hit a fair ball, one of two bases sounds off. And if they get there before a fielder retrieves the ball, it’s a run. Fielding can be tricky, too. Andres took a line drive off her arm during a game Wednesday.

"It hurt a little bit," she said.

Andres and Guerra are among nine Millers on the 2024 roster. Andres is a relative rookie on the team, playing in her second World Series.

They play to win, but she’s learned to take losses — and balls and strikes — in stride.

"Beep ball is a high-risk sport because that means the ball is flying, and you could get hit by a line drive," Guerra said. "And she did, but she shook it off and just went on to make it put out the very next play."

They practice for two months every year and raise money to make the trip in July. And they have fun, no matter the results. After the first two days, the Millers are 2-4 in the tournament.

When they don’t win, it’s a shame. For its one, two, three, four strikes, you’re out at the Beep Ball game.

You can live stream games at the tournament here. And you can support the Millers financially here.