A Myrtle Beach Pelicans jersey worn by manager Buddy Bailey as part of the team's "Deaf Awareness Night" promotion was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday.
The script on the front and back of the Pelicans' jerseys was done in American Sign Language, part of an extensive and well-received event at the Cubs' Class A Advanced affiliate.
"Deaf Awareness Night" was held Aug. 19 and was sparked when a father in the Myrtle Beach area asked Ryan Cannella, the corporate marketing manager for the Pelicans, about what he could do for his 4-year-old daughter, who is deaf.
The Pelicans staff then brainstormed, and the day included a free baseball clinic for the deaf community conducted by former Major League outfielder Curtis Pride, who is deaf. The jerseys were changed, and there were sign language interpreters stationed throughout TicketReturn.com Field in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
"It was really cool to see fans communicating in sign language from across different sections," Pelicans general manager Ryan Moore said Friday during a discussion at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. "Traditionally, when you go to a ballpark, you communicate with the person sitting right next to you. It was a unique experience."
Families from 10 different states attended the game, which drew 4,855 fans, including a mother from Chicago, who heard about the game and flew down with her daughter, who is deaf.
On Friday, Bailey's No. 46 jersey was accepted for the Hall of Fame's permanent collection.