Who Was Dummy Hoy? A New Trailer Introduces the Deaf Baseball Pioneer

If William "Dummy" Hoy is a new name to you, you're not alone, and a new film trailer is here to fix that. Hoy was a Deaf star who played in the majors more than a century ago, and he’s widely credited with helping bring the hand signals umpires still use into baseball. Now his supporters are making the case that he belongs in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The trailer for Hoy, a new film narrated by none other than Bob Costas, drops October 21. It’s part of a national push to get his name in front of new audiences and build momentum for his induction.

Oscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur is one of the people championing him.

"Dummy Hoy showed the Deaf community what was possible. He became a symbol of breaking barriers, opening doors, and proving that Deaf people belong on the biggest stages," Kotsur says..

Hoy was a Deaf center fielder who played 14 major league seasons between 1888 and 1902. He was quick, racked up more than 2,000 hits and stole nearly 600 bases along the way, and he did it all while being Deaf, decades before any kind of accommodation existed in the sport.

Kotsur's link to Hoy goes back years. He actually acted in a film about him in 2007, long before this campaign came along.

Short answer: not exactly. Hoy is often credited with helping popularize the hand signals umpires use for balls and strikes, but the full history involves a few different people, so he doesn't get sole credit for inventing them. Still, his link to that visual language is a big part of why his story resonates, especially in the Deaf community.

Steve Sandy, a Deaf baseball historian, has been researching Hoy since 1989.

"I've been on this project since 1989 and haven't given up yet on getting Dummy Hoy into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Dummy Hoy is a Deaf icon."

The documentary tells Hoy's story partly through the people involved in the campaign. Curtis Pride, a Deaf former MLB player, is featured throughout and serves as its Chief Baseball Advisor. He came across Hoy's story early in his own minor league career, and it stuck with him.

The campaign wants Hoy considered by the 2027 Classic Baseball Era Committee for the Hall's Class of 2028. To be clear, that's a goal, not a done deal; he hasn't been put on a ballot or elected yet. For now, supporters just want more people to know his name, and to introduce young Deaf fans to a player many have never heard of.