Deaf Fan Featured in Buck O'Neil Seat

VIDEO: [CC] - Buck O'Neil Legacy of seat holder spent decades connect the Deaf with baseball.



KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Some lucky fan gets to sit in the Buck O'Neil seat each game. The person is nominated and honored for their community service.



Just hours before one of the biggest nights of his life, James "JJ" Jones stopped by the Negro Leagues Museum to honor the man who made it happen the man whose seat he'll be sitting in Tuesday night. "I can't wait to sit in Buck O'Neil's seat tonight," Jones said. "I've got goose bumps. Wow."



His journey to the Buck O'Neil seat started when he was just three years old, when his parents discovered he was Deaf - with special schooling, he made his way to college where his mission became clear. "I had so many good Deaf college professors and now it's time to pay back to Deaf children," Jones said.

Turn "Closed Captioned" on.

For nearly 30 years, he's coached at the Johnson County Sertoma Fantasy Sports Camp, a baseball camp for Deaf children in the Kansas City area. It has since expanded to include soccer and lacrosse.



"It's a joy. It's heartwarming. Heartfelt," Jones explained. "It's rewarding to be a good role model." Along the way he met and eventually became friends with Buck O'Neil.



"Buck O'Neil has the heart. He loves people. Loves everybody. Everybody loves Buck O'Neil," Jones said. When he sits in his seat tonight, he hopes it will send a message that anyone can accomplish anything.



"To all my Deaf children, Deaf youth. Believe in yourself," Jones advised. "You can be anything you want to be. Go. Reach your dreams." You can learn how to nominate someone for the Buck O'Neil Legacy seat on the Royals website.



Source

Deaf Boy Signs With Dragons Mascot

VIDEO: Baseball club Dayton Dragons mascot signs to Deaf child, 7, in heartwarming video.



DAYTON, OHIO (ABC News) It is a video being shared around the web after young, Deaf boy from Germantown made a connection with the Dayton Dragons mascot, Heater, that no one was expecting.



Hunter may be a bit camera shy, but he is not shy about his favorite team. "I met heater and Gem," signed the seven year old. The Samworths were at the game on Saturday.



"We were outside getting ready to go in and there was Heater and Gem so Hunter ran up. And so next thing you know, I'm telling Hunter, say. 'It's nice to meet you,'" said Hunter's Mom, Cheri Samworth.

Unexpectedly, a Green Team member escorting Heater, starting signing back to him. So Dad started recording it and that is when the mascot himself joined in. They exchanged names and talked about the big game.



"You can see on the video, his smile is like, he's gets me, he speaks my language, he understands me, Just a completely different experience for Hunter," Cheri said.



"It just froze, everything froze. It was just, the look on his face was just priceless," said Hunter's Dad, Matt Samworth. The Dragons are away so Heater and members of the Green Team have the day off. Source