Jeepers creepers, where’d you get those peepers? Jeepers creepers, where’d you get those eyes? Oh those weepers, how they hypnotize! Where’d you get those eyes? -Louis Armstrong
Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! When Daric Barton arrived in Oakland along with Dan Haren as part of the Mark Mulder deal, he was your prototypical Money Ball type player. He displayed a plate approach well beyond his years. He established himself as an on-base fiend. He maintained a textbook swing. A beautiful swing. A Will Clark swing. It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing. Even with that swing, Barton has still not been able to stay up with the big team for any meaningful amounts of at bats. When he was given a chance, back in 2008, he struggled with a .226 batting average and a .327 OBP. What gives? Is it the shoes? Nope. Daric Barton was lost but now is found. He was blind, but now he sees.
Ok, ok, he wasn’t blind, but he did wear contact lenses. He don’t no more. Daric Barton just had laser eye surgery during the offseason, and says his vision is better than when he wore the contacts. But, like my main man Groucho Marx always says, “Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?” My own eyes saw Barton go eight for his past 15 with five walks this spring. My own eyes saw him notch two hits, including a double, while driving in two runs. My own eyes are gonna see a breakout season from this cat. Just you watch with your own eyes.
Barton is just the latest but not greatest athlete to have laser eye surgery:
- LeBron James had his eyes zapped before this season. He said his vision improved from 20-40 to 20-15. His field goal percentage went from 46% to 49%.
- Jhonny Peralta chased bad pitches in 2006 that he hadn’t chased before because he couldn’t see the ball well. After his surgery, he improved from minor near-sightedness to 20-15 vision. His batting average went from to .254 to .270.
- Tiger Woods went 16 straight tournaments without a victory before having his vision surgically corrected in late 1999. Post-Lasik, he won seven of his next 10 matches. He has said everything immediately looked bigger, the ball, his clubs, the greens, the hole.
- Rip Hamilton had Lasik surgery before the 2004-2005 NBA season. His field goal percentage went from 44% to 47%.
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In 2000, Greg Maddux had LASIK surgery and turned around a 1-3 start into a 9 out of 10 game winning streak. He chose to have the treatment on a Monday, then went out that Wednesday and pitched a 1-hitter.
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Tom Kite had LASIK in 1998 and won six events on the Champions Tour over the next five years.
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Three months after his surgery, Hale Irwin captured the Senior PGA Tour Nationwide Championship.
Who has more riding on their eyes than scores of professional athletes that make millions of dollars for the talent and skill associated with their eyes? These athletes depend on their eyes for their lucrative livelihood, fame, and popularity. These eyes have seen a lot of loves but they’re never gonna see another one like I had with you. Unless they get LASIK. Then they’ll see everything.
Public Spectacle:
Peace out homies. Six two and Even!
Need More? Daric Barton,Greg Maddux,Hale Irwin,Jhonny Peralta,LeBron James,MLB,Oakland A's,Rip Hamilton,Tiger Woods,Tom Kite
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