Blind Baseball PA Announcer Loves the Game

Blind Baseball PA Announcer Loves the Game

By CHARLES PULLIAM
Associated Press Writer

MADISON, S.D. (AP) -- Keith Bundy, the baseball public address announcer at Madison's Flynn Field since 2001, knows quite a bit about the game. After all, he had listened to broadcasts all his life.

So when the opportunity arose for him to step into the PA booth, he did so - even though he's been blind since birth.

In 2001, Keith and Peggy Bundy's oldest son, Lewis, was umpiring a baseball game with a veteran ump, Keith Bundy said.

"It was an American Legion game and they didn't have a PA announcer that night," he said. "The chief umpire, Ted Weiland, asked my son, 'Do you think your dad would be willing to announce?' And my son said, 'I'm sure he would, but you better watch out, you'll create a monster.'"

Bundy, 50, has been announcing baseball games from Little League to Dakota State University contests since filling in that night. A Braille Note system allows him to keep rosters and scores for each game. The system uses six character keys that vibrate a display board's pinheads, which raises the pins to form letters and words that are readable to Bundy.

"I'm referred to as totally blind," he said, adding that he can notice some shadows in certain lighting.

The Bundys, married for 26 years, settled in Madison in 1989 after Keith took over a church as a minister. His college degrees include a bachelor's in philosophy and religion. Keith and Peggy have three other sons, Jon, Joe and Ben.

All have played baseball through the years, tying the family to the sport.

Once their boys started playing ball, Peggy had to catch on to the game quickly. Overall, she is happy with Keith's link to the game.

"I think it is a wonderful opportunity for him," she said. "He is a good speaker and it was a wonderful thing for him to get involved with."

Peggy helps Keith when he announces local high school or American Legion games. Otherwise a spotter usually is provided by the college for other contests.

"Typically she is the main helper," Keith Bundy said. "We just make an excellent team."

Peggy and other spotters relay information to Keith about the action on the field and other announcements. He usually has rosters, starting lineups and other details prepared for the game. The PA announcing husband-wife duo met at the University of Evansville, where Peggy pursued a nursing degree and Keith got his bachelor's degree in psychology.

"In the past, I've run the scoreboard, and I have been a spotter for Keith," she said.

When he was growing up, Keith Bundy remembers sitting in his house near St. Louis and listening to baseball games on the radio. He said his dad, Bill, eventually asked, "Why do you listen to so much baseball? You'll never make any money doing it."

Bundy said he never has made any money as a PA announcer but that he doesn't want to. He simply does it for the love the game.

At age 11, Bundy was inspired when his aunt arranged for him to meet broadcaster Harry Caray, the longtime Chicago Cubs play-by-play announcer.

"Play-by-play has been a part of me all my life because the radio is obviously better for me than the TV," he said. "It was just a privilege" to meet him.

Next year, Bundy plans announcing more baseball games for DSU, the Broncos and anything in between. He also wants to try helping radio broadcasters by providing color analysis, but for now he's content with PA announcing.

"I've been able to do something that I never dreamed would be possible," he said. "I just thoroughly enjoy it and announcing conveys to people that blind people can do things that people don't expect."

Bundy said his blindness sometimes surprises game spectators.

"I've been told that there are people that see me pick up the white cane or use my guide dog, Brandon, to leave the ball park and they are blown away that I am blind," he said.

During his first game announcing for the Madison Broncos, the city's amateur baseball team, Bundy also operated a scoreboard successfully for a pilot program launched by Daktronics. He said someone in California was developing a scoreboard operable by a blind person and needed someone to test it out.

"Doing both in one game was very interesting," he said.

Bundy said one of the highlights of his announcing career was when his son smashed a grand-slam, permitting him to belt out his trademark siren call. It sounds much like an ambulance with its sirens on and is heard throughout Flynn Field whenever a home player hits a homer.

His siren imitation won several talent shows in his younger years and children love it, he added.

"I have no idea why I learned to do it, but it is a lot of fun, even at my age," Bundy said. "It certainly is unique," Peggy Bundy said. "I don't know anyone else who can do the siren and it sure gets people's attention."

Last May, Bundy left as pastor of the Church of Nazarene in Madison to pursue his work at the college and focus on being a motivational speaker. His master's in student development from Indiana State University led to his current job as director of student development and ADA coordinator for students with disabilities at DSU.

Bundy is co-president of the South Dakota Association of the Blind and a member of the American Council of the Blind.

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