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RE: Deaf Players of the Early 1900s Had a Big Impact on Baseball
Yes. Though I have followed the game all my life, I never really thought about how many hand signals there are. Those may have started at this time (some historians say so), though crowd noise may have been another reason they were developed.
The main fact that you want to hide your offensive intentions from the opposition is the main reason "signals" were invented. Now you have defensive signals to communicate without disclosing to the opposition. Deaf players fit right in which made this sport one that they could excell at.
That's certainly a big reason. Umpires' hand signals may have had a different origin, though, perhaps the one suggested here.
Yes, definitely those were intended for the hearing impaired. I guess I was on a different wavelength with signals in general.