I Can See Right Through That

In 1978, a budding superstar stepped to the plate in a tight baseball game and watched as a pitch hit the outside corner.

Strike three.

The young stud athlete cried, vowing to never allowed that to happen again*. The backwards K (the scorecard indication for a called third strike in baseball) was another red mark in an otherwise stellar year. One that featured three donuts.

*My batting average was .000

Not long after, it was determined that my right eye - my lead batting eye - was weak. My father promised me a present for my first hit in the 1979 season.

I got glasses and I singled in my first at-bat. Pop and I went to Tom-Kat Sporting Goods in Mahopac and we mocked up a white T-shirt to look like a Yankees away jersey (number 55 on the back, of course).

I generally resisted my glasses (though insisted on having them on for my fourth grade picture). I'd wear them for my times at the plate in baseball, casting them away as soon as I reached first base on struck out (swinging).

For the record, I never did get caught looking again. I became a serious student of the strike zone, and knew how to work my way to a walk, though it stunned me when legendary coach Lou D'Aliso started batting me leadoff later in my illustrious career.

By 1984, I wanted glasses to be a backup, and worked my way into contact lenses, and oh what misadventures we had with losing them and breaking them.

In the early 90's, my left eye caught up my right and I was into wearing two contacts.

Within the last year, two things happened: 1) I ran out of contact lenses, and 2) I couldn't afford new contact lenses.

Then a little over a week ago, the trusty glasses that I had for roughly five years snapped on me. It was time for a change, and a reality check.

Yes. I'm 46, and my reading vision has deteriorated (I'm traditionally nearsighted). So it was time for a progressive bifocal lens. At the same time, it was time to shake it up and go to a plastic frame.

That's what you see above.

There might be some contact lenses again, but I've also had people tell me I look "better" in glasses.

Oh no. That's not supposed to be insulting at all.

Anyway, it will be nice to call a game with the proper vision again. Speaking of which, games begin ramping back up tomorrow. It's almost baseball season.

I can see clearly now.