"Slowing Down" That Fast Ball with Zeaxanthin

Hitting a 95 MPH fastball is said to be the hardest thing to do in sports, but a zeaxanthin can make it seem slower, according to a study published in Plos One. The study, conducted at the University of Georgia (UGA) Vision Sciences laboratory, measured the impact of high levels of dietary zeaxanthin (20mg and above) on the speed at which a person’s eyes and brain communicate to identify, process and respond to stimuli. The study found that after four months of taking the supplement, which is found in EyePromise, participants reportedly experienced statistically significant improvements in reaction time. It is said to be the first time a study has proven the ability to improve visual processing speed through dietary zeaxanthin supplementation. Read more.

Red Sox’s Middlebrooks Trying Contact Lens

“Will Middlebrooks [Boston Red Sox] is experimenting with new contact lenses this week to correct some slight vision problems, according to CSNNE.com. Middlebrooks reportedly wore the contacts Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and didn’t see much improvement. He didn’t wear them Friday, and — after dealing with the discomfort of wearing the lenses for the first time — is unsure if he’ll resume wearing them.” That’s the post on NESN. Read more.
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Uggla Clobbers HR with New CLs

Sports Media 101 reports that "Dan Uggla has been notoriously streaky through his first two years with the Atlanta Braves, but getting his vision checked last month has led to enormously increased productivity and confidence at the plate. In the first 67 games he played in 2013, Uggla hit an awful .194, but with 13 homers. Entering Monday, Uggla has hit .277 with three homers over his last 12 games, and he largely gives credit to his new contact lenses." Read more and see video of his 16th HR.

Pirates Inge Sports Cat Eye Contact Lenses

Larry Brown Sports reports that "Brandon Inge may have scared the crap out of everyone watching the Pittsburgh Pirates-Philadelphia Phillies game on Wednesday. The Pittsburgh utility man decided to wear some color contact lenses for the game that had his eyes shaped like those of a cat. The lenses were colored black and yellow to match the Pirates’ colors. But if you watch the video below, you’ll see that he may have screwed up when putting them in; one eye looks more horizontal while the other is more vertical." Read more and watch the video.

Uggla and Wood of the Braves Plop in New CLs

“Dan Uggla returned to the Braves lineup Friday night in Milwaukee, wearing newly fitted contact lenses and hopeful that it will make a difference in what’s been an uphill struggle at the plate,” reports the Atlanta Journal & Constitution. “Uggla entered the series against the Brewers hitting .194, with 92 strikeouts in 227 at-bats. He was diagnosed with astigmatism in spring training and tried contacts then, but he didn’t see immediate improvement with contacts and quit wearing them….He hopes to wear contacts for the remainder of the season and have laser surgery after the season. Uggla said doctors estimated he would need a two-week stint on the disabled list to recover from surgery…..Braves left-hander Alex Wood has had his own problems with astigmatism as well. The rookie reliever was fitted for contacts Thursday and was wearing them Friday in Milwaukee. Wood originally tried pitching in glasses, but had to wear regular glasses because his prescription sport goggles haven’t arrived. But during a spot start Tuesday afternoon against the Mets, his glasses kept falling off as he sweated in the heat of the day, and he eventually just put them in his pocket.” Read more.

How Does Sandoval or Venus Williams see 90+ Balls? Science Now Knows!

Science Digest asks: “How does San Francisco Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval swat a 95 mph fastball, or tennis icon Venus Williams see the oncoming ball, let alone return her sister Serena's 120 mph serves? For the first time, vision scientists have pinpointed how the brain tracks fast-moving objects.” Read more.

Unlicensed “Optician” in Major League Outfield

O'Neill's bats used as a Yankee. None have eyewear

Paul O’Neill was providing color to Michael Kaye’s calls at yesterday’s Blue Jays/Yankees game. The former Yankee and Reds right fielder, who had a lifetime .288 batting average, dotted his career with antics—especially in his opinion, after a disappointing performance at the plate. He threw helmets, sometimes bats. Midway through yesterday’s game he confessed that once he retreated to the dugout and drew eyeglasses on his Louisville Slugger C243. “Why?” asked Kaye. “So it would see the ball,” answered O’Neill who ended his career with a .470 slugging percentage. He added, “Not that it has anything to do with superstition.”

MLB’s Rangers Don Oakley's

“The Texas Rangers today announced that the club and Oakley have entered into a multi-year partnership beginning with the 2013 season,” according to a post on the team’s page. “One of the world's leading sports brands, Oakley will be the Official Eyewear for the Rangers. The partnership will also include signage at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. World-class athletes depend on Oakley to compete at their highest level possible. Texas Rangers who wear Oakley sunglasses or prescription eyewear include Adrian Beltre, Lance Berkman, Nelson Cruz, Craig Gentry, Ian Kinsler, and David Murphy.” Read more.

Italy Creates Baseball for the Blind; Forget Your Catcalls

"When Eugenio Brivio first started coaching blind baseball players in 2002, getting across one basic tenet had him stumped," notes the New York Times. "'The first rule they teach you is to keep your eye on the ball,' Mr. Brivio said on the sidelines of a game one sultry Sunday at Bologna’s Leoni ballpark. 'You can imagine the challenge I felt.' He seems to have managed. Italy’s baseball league for the blind is not huge, but since 2005, Mr. Brivio’s Milanese team — Thunder’s Five — has won all but one championship title and is heading strong into the playoffs later this month. 'They got good,' Mr. Brivio said." Read more.

Braves Freeman CL Saga Continues

"Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has ditched his glasses and switched back to playing in contact lenses again, hoping the latest medicated eye drops will keep his dry eyes from becoming irritated again," reports the Atlanta Journal. "'I’m going with contacts now,' said Freeman, who a week ago said he was done with contacts and would wear glasses on a permanent basis for the foreseeable future." Read more.

Braves Eye Doc Gets Freeman Seeing Straight

"1B Freddie Freeman was back in the lineup after another session with the Braves team eye doctor Friday morning, where he tried many, many different styles of contact lenses before settling on some that keep his eyes moist. But he also has some new sports glasses to wear as a backup," according to a post on the Chicago Tribune. Read more.

Freeman's Eye Trouble Continues

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that "Freddie Freeman  spent part of his weekend switching between glasses and various contact lenses and trying out assorted eye drops in a somewhat successful effort to alleviate his dry eyes." The Atlanta Braves first baseman has been struggling even since the Braves played the Rockies in Denver this past week. Read more.

Freeman Tries Then Drops Eyewear

"1B Freddie Freeman wore new glasses to play in the field Thursday," notes the Chicago Tribune. "He normally wears contact lenses, but dry air and wind in Colorado on last week's road trip caused abrasions in his eyes. He wasn't wearing the glasses, however, when he hit his seventh home run of the season in the third inning, and he kept them off when he went back out to first base after that." Read more.

Scratch on Right Eye Sidelines Braves First Baseman

"Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has a minor scratch on his right eye and is not starting in Tuesday night's game against Cincinnati," reports ESPN. "Freeman says he hopes to play on Wednesday. He says he went through seven pairs of contact lenses on Monday night but had to leave the game after the seventh inning because the scratch on his cornea affected his field of vision." Read more.

OD Helps Umpires and Baseball Players

Modern Medicine reports that "the next time you go to a baseball game and hear some invective about the umpire and his vision, consider how Burton Worrell, OD, of San Jose, CA, has tried to make the world a better place for baseball, one umpire and baseball player at a time." Read more about an OD and baseball.

Bryce Harper Ready to Play Ball with New CLs

"Hagerstown Suns center fielder and Washington Nationals top draft pick Bryce Harper, warms up before a minor league baseball game in Hagerstown, Md., Wednesday, May 25, 2011," reports WTOP. " Since getting new contact lenses, the Nationals teenager is even more of a sight to behold, tearing up Single A ball in his inevitable march to the big leagues." Read more.

Mariners Robinson Hopes BA to Rise after Diagnosis of Astigmatism

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reports: "I ran across him [Trayvon Robinson] this morning when he was coming out of the indoor batting cages and noticed the new glasses he was wearing. Turns out that Robinson was having some trouble with his contact lenses last season. They kept shifting in his eyes when he was on the field and would occasionally leave him 'blinded' for 'about a half second' at a time. He went to see the team's eye specialist. 'He looked at me and said, "Oh, you have astigmatism,''' Robinson said. The condition is an optical defect in the eye that can cause blurred vision." Read more.

Ranger Hamilton's BA Soars after CLs

"An optometrist supported [Josh] Hamilton’s gripe that having blue eyes can cause glare issues during day games, so the slugger decided to try out some contact lenses." says LarryBrownSports. "The results have been spectacular. According to the stats displayed by TBS, and relayed to us by contributor Alan Hull, Josh Hamilton is batting .423 (11-for-26) since switching to contacts for day games. Those stats include a bases-clearing triple on Sunday against the Red Sox to drive in three runs." Read more.

White Sox Player DLed After Being Hit by Line Drive

Humber after being hit by a line drive

Pitcher "Philip Humber was disappointed that he was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday but understands the Chicago White Sox's concerns about his health, one day after getting hit above the right eye by a line drive by Cleveland's Kosuke Fukudome." That's the report from the ChicagoTribune. Read more.

Eyewear in Sports

"You can't look at Phillies righthander Vance Worley without noticing his distinctive eyewear," goes the post on Philly.com. "That got us thinking about some others in Philly sports and beyond who have made glasses trendy (and we will even include goggles)." Read more.