Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

[Pared]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/3559064?GT1=6444

Great read.

Interested to read everyone's take. How "unfair" is this? Personally, it seems like it's no different than someone wearing glasses (Gagne?) while playing...

Discuss!

[rubisco43]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

it's just like wearing sunglasses..

[SportsTop]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

I'm not saying either way if I agree with it or not, but it is definitely not the same as wearing glasses or sunglasses while playing. Glasses give you "blind spots" and can hinder your vision in certain areas. They also allow some light to bleed in from the sides (as the article states) which would allow the light to bounce around and wreak havoc with your vision. These contacts cover it all. Novel idea, but still better than glasses. The one good thing is that these aren't limited to just sight affected players. They can always make them in non-prescription form as well.

[DGetz]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

First off: intersting article, thanks for posting it.

Interesting idea. Definetly an advantage over regular glass or sunglasses. I'd actually been expecting them to come out with something like this ever since I saw an ad for blue glasses that let you see better on the golf course, though I admit I expected to see them in glasses form, not contacts. I don't particularly think it's an unfair advantage at all.

One thing I disagree with - as the article said, I tried to imagine being in the box and looking at a pitcher with red eyes like the picture in the article and I just thought it would make me laugh.

[SPTO]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

Eh,

I think it's an unfair advantage but it's something that can be leveled out. I mean anybody can just get these things if they start selling it in non R/X form. Better eyesight isn't gonna automatically make you into a better player. You have to have good eye/hand co-ordination on top of it. It'll be interesting to see Brian Roberts' final stats this year tho.

[Freelance]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

I have no problem with this. It's like batting gloves, sunglasses, or pine tar.

Just because you can see it better doesn't mean you can hit it. Steroids turns fly balls into home runs, which is totally different.

[mjb2124]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

There was an article in Sporting News Magazine last week about this. Pretty good read.

These red contacts don't help a player hit/pitch at night. Just during the day. So that eliminates a good majority of games right now. However, they are working on a pair that helps a player at night. I think they're green.

I'm torn on this. Some say it doesn't help a player hit. I disagree simply because these contacts supposedly allow a hitter to pick up the seams on a ball much easier. It sounds like these contacts highlight/brighten the seams. Give any player that advantage and they'll put up better stats. However, the player still needs to have good hand/eye coordination to even make solid contact.

I don't know what to think yet.

[BGarrett7]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

The key thing to consider? Contacts aren't illegal.

[Pared]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

The key thing to consider? Contacts aren't illegal.

To play devil's advocate and further promote discussion:

But... should THESE be?

Corking a bat is illegal in baseball... but not illegal in society.

Should these contacts be outlawed in baseball?

[DGetz]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

To play devil's advocate and further promote discussion:

But... should THESE be?

Corking a bat is illegal in baseball... but not illegal in society.

Should these contacts be outlawed in baseball?

In my opinion no. They're something players can wear to give themselves an advantage and other players can wear them as well. It's like pine tar or batting gloves or those giant arm guards - some guys use them, some don't but anyone is free to.

[rubisco43]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

To play devil's advocate and further promote discussion:

But... should THESE be?

Corking a bat is illegal in baseball... but not illegal in society.

Should these contacts be outlawed in baseball?

right, but contacts aren't illegal in baseball either.

[Pared]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

FYI, Brian Roberts was chosen the League's Player of the month.

He led the AL in slugging % (.726), runs (21) and total bases (69) in his first month of using these lenses. He also hit eight homers - three more than his previous career high for a SEASON and ranked third in batting avg. with a .379.

At least 10 games were in the daytime.

[Pared]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

right, but contacts aren't illegal in baseball either.

But contacts only correct vision to be on par with 20/20. If you need contacts, most likely you're not a ballplayer anyway.

These ENHANCE your vision to be better than that.

[DGetz]

Re: Enough about steroids... how about "performance enhancing" CONTACTS?

But contacts only correct vision to be on par with 20/20. If you need contacts, most likely you're not a ballplayer anyway.

These ENHANCE your vision to be better than that.

It's pretty common for contacts to get vision to better than 20/20; it's a pretty big marketing point for a lot of them. My contacts get me to about 20/15 - 20/10 on vision tests and they're just typical prescription lenses.