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Why YOU can't be a Major Leaguer

"Since 1992, our group has been interested in studying the differences between the visual functions of professional baseball players and the general population. Since that time, we have tested approximately 1500 players from the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets major and minor league systems. We tested each player with a series of visual function tests consisting of three main types: Visual Acuity (sharpness of vision), Stereo Acuity (depth perception) and Contrast Sensitivity (being able to pick a target out of a background)."

       " The results of visual acuity testing were most surprising. Certainly we felt that professional baseball players must have excellent visual acuity, but we were surprised to find that 81% of the players had acuities of 20/15 or better and about 2% had acuity of 20/9.2 (the best vision humanly possible is 20/8). The average visual acuity of professional baseball players is approximately 20/13!"

Dr. Daniel M. Laby, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

Dr. David G. Kirschen, Ph.D., OD
Chief of Binocular Vision and Orthoptic Services at the Jules Eye Institute,
UCLA School of Medicine

Tony Abbatine, National Director of Instruction, Frozen Ropes Training Centers

Like I've always said, major league ballplayers are freaks of nature.

0 recs  |  Comment 21 comments

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Damn
I should have listened to my mother...
Send your top 50-100 prospects to slurveone@yahoo.com!!!

by slurve on Dec 12, 2007 2:41 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

lol

I literally laughed out loud at work when I read this...

nice...

and, yea, its my excuse too....

by dbimberg on Dec 12, 2007 3:55 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Lol I can't
believe I missed this one on first glance. Guess 20/10 doesn't mean shit if you're high on drugs for The Holidays.

by SenorGato88 on Dec 12, 2007 4:00 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

i bet
...stuff like this is a big reason why a lot of prospects with Big Tools gradually turn out to be guys who Can't F***ing Hit as they (try to) rise through the minors.  the invisible factors, so to speak.

by wily mo on Dec 12, 2007 3:03 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

I used to have 20/15
...coming out of college.  Sadly, the years of staring at a computer doing data analysis has changed that, somewhat...
"A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day." - Calvin

by RVachon on Dec 12, 2007 3:08 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

+1
I was right there around 20/15 or so in each eye when I was younger too. On an eye chart I could make out about half the letters on the bottom line, and the ones I couldn't for sure see, I could get the basic shape of and make a good guess at it.

Now at age 31 I find myself having to squint more to see details from a distance, especially at night trying to read road signs.

I hate getting older sometimes.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Dec 12, 2007 3:12 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

20/14
When I played in high school, I haven't had them tested in the 5 years since, but I don't know how much it's changed now that I don't play anymore.
Rios is the next Juan Gonzales, thats right, I said it.

by KaoticKlown on Dec 13, 2007 2:32 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I guess my 20/200
wouldn't cut it...this makes complete sense to me, though.  I was above average on my little league and Babe Ruth teams.  Got glasses in 9th grade, sucked at baseball on my high school teams.  Right about the time my eyes started going bad I suddently couldn't hit or get good reads on the ball in the outfield.

by t ball on Dec 12, 2007 3:34 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

This doesn't explain....
Chris Sabo and his googles.  Although it does explain Jason Phillips, his googles, and why he doesn't deserve to play major league baseball....

by Lunkwill Fook on Dec 12, 2007 3:43 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Googles
or testiclees
Send your top 50-100 prospects to slurveone@yahoo.com!!!

by slurve on Dec 12, 2007 3:48 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Google vs goggle
Now you see how Google gets in your head and takes over!

by Lunkwill Fook on Dec 12, 2007 4:17 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

20/10 bitches.
Not that I can hit a beach ball floated underhand to me or anything...but the vision is there.

by SenorGato88 on Dec 12, 2007 3:46 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

20/10 here, too
i worked with a sports vision doctor here in arlington heights illinois.  at the time he worked with many pro athletes.  he told me i had 20/10 vision and the best ability to see that he'd ever worked with.  however, i had horrible depth perception...which made sense when i heard it.  things that were timing related (swinging, passing) i was able to do no problem.  but where it showed most was shooting in basketball.  i rarely missed left/right.  but man, all through my life i could not get my range.  i'd have some decent games, but mostly struggled.

this guy gave me a whole bunch of exercises to do daily.  i noticed a huge change within about a month.  trouble was, i was already 26 when i started going to this guy.  oh well, it helped in all the rec leagues.

http://www.simdynasty.com/index.jsp?refer=mychiefs58

by huckleberry on Dec 12, 2007 8:14 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Mark McGwire
McGwire had 20/500 vision without his "super athlete" contact lenses on.

by aCone419 on Dec 12, 2007 4:03 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

McGwire
Corrective-Vision Syringe?
Joba the.... PWN3D!

by ufoboy90 on Dec 12, 2007 7:58 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Damn
He's got me beat.  I had 20/450 before I got my eyes LASIKed.  I was only 20/30 afterwards but declined a second procedure to get to 20/20.  I was too giddy from being able to see the numbers on my alarm clock on the night stand right next to my bed without needing glasses.  :)  Mahalo

Matt

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.

by WayneCampbell05 on Dec 13, 2007 3:11 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

gotta send a CV to those guys
one year left por my grad degree in the area.

by nheck on Dec 12, 2007 5:03 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Is
this for both hitters and pitchers I'm not sure excellent vision would help pitchers I know that poor vision would hurt you (no being able to see where you're throwing.)
1941 .406

by FrozenTed9 on Dec 12, 2007 5:33 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Did someone post something...
...I can't see it...

by Rusnakjd on Dec 12, 2007 9:13 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

"Reply to this"
I just realized why some guys on here don't ever use it.  
Vacuums: where sock puppets go to die.

by siddfynch on Dec 12, 2007 10:24 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

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