Guiding Eyes graduate enjoys a night at the ballpark

“Take me out to the ballgame!” This famous line from the anthem of American baseball took on a different meaning at a recent Baltimore Orioles game. Guiding Eyes graduate Tim Utzig was hanging out field-level with his guide dog, Alisa – but it wasn’t just for the peanuts and Cracker Jack.Majoring in political science and journalism at Towson University, Tim attended the National Federation of the Blind Night at the Baltimore Orioles game on September 18 for a news reporting class.

“I have always been a huge fan and it was my first time being on the field. I interviewed a few people for my class assignment, including the head radio broadcaster. I have listened to him describe games for years on the radio, so it was great to finally meet him in person,” Tim explained.

During the game, Orioles players wore specially-designed jerseys with Braille lettering – the first time in American professional sports history that a team incorporated Braille into their gameday uniforms. Tim was honored to be part of this significant event – but he wasn’t the only one.

“Alisa loved being down on the field with me. She was looking out over the field and the fans while they sang the national anthem,” he said. “Alisa has been great. She is my first guide dog and because of her, I am more willing to advocate for myself as someone with vision loss. She has helped build my confidence while traveling everywhere from my college classes to fun events like a ball game.”