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When it comes to hitting, it's been night and day for Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton this season -- and the reigning American League MVP has a theory as to why.
He has blue eyes.
And an optometrist is going to bat to support him.
Under the sun, Hamilton's numbers are dim. He is batting .122 (6-for-49) with no home runs, four RBIs and eight walks. He also has 17 strikeouts and a .429 OPS.
At night, it's a different story. Hamilton is hitting .374 (41-for-109) with six home runs, 28 RBIs, seven walks and a 1.076 OPS. And he only has 14 strikeouts while playing under the lights.
"I ask guys all the time," Hamilton told ESPN 103.3 FM's Bryan Dolgin when asked if he had any theories to his drastic splits. "Guys with blue eyes, brown eyes, whatever ... and guys with blue eyes have a tough time."
During his 2010 MVP season, the blue-eyed Hamilton hit a respectable .286 during the day and .384 at night.
"It's just hard for me to see [at the plate] in the daytime," Hamilton said. "It's just what it is. Try to go up [to the plate] squinting and see a white ball while the sun is shining right off the plate, you know, and beaming right up in your face."
Hamilton isn't alone in subscribing to this theory.
Dr. Richard L. Ison, an optometrist since 1990 who is practicing in Murphy, Texas, said it's true that having blue eyes makes it tougher to see during the day than those with darker eyes.
"Because of the lack of pigment in lighter color eyes -- like blue or green eyes as opposed to brown -- you get a lot more unwanted light and that can create glare problems," Ison said.
Ison said the phenomenon is called intraocular light scatter, meaning the light scatters as it enters, producing a focal point that isn't as good.
His solution for Hamilton: Find a pair of sunglasses that he's completely comfortable wearing while batting. The Rangers said Friday that he's going to try a new pair of contact lenses instead that Hamilton hopes will help with glare.
Hamilton had said Thursday that he finally found another pair of the sunglasses that he used while in the field last season and would give those a try.
"Hopefully that'll help my eyes relax enough to take them off and bat and put them on again," Hamilton said.
Ison noticed that in one of the Rangers' recent day games in Atlanta, Hamilton twice adjusted the sunglasses he was wearing during an at-bat. Then, with two strikes, Hamilton took them off completely.
"He has to find a pair that he likes and that will be the right tint for him," Ison said before the Rangers announced the contact solution. "He just has to try some different kinds and figure out the right light transmission factor for him."
The Rangers have two day games against the New York Mets this weekend.
Source: AP
He has blue eyes.
And an optometrist is going to bat to support him.
Under the sun, Hamilton's numbers are dim. He is batting .122 (6-for-49) with no home runs, four RBIs and eight walks. He also has 17 strikeouts and a .429 OPS.
At night, it's a different story. Hamilton is hitting .374 (41-for-109) with six home runs, 28 RBIs, seven walks and a 1.076 OPS. And he only has 14 strikeouts while playing under the lights.
"I ask guys all the time," Hamilton told ESPN 103.3 FM's Bryan Dolgin when asked if he had any theories to his drastic splits. "Guys with blue eyes, brown eyes, whatever ... and guys with blue eyes have a tough time."
During his 2010 MVP season, the blue-eyed Hamilton hit a respectable .286 during the day and .384 at night.
"It's just hard for me to see [at the plate] in the daytime," Hamilton said. "It's just what it is. Try to go up [to the plate] squinting and see a white ball while the sun is shining right off the plate, you know, and beaming right up in your face."
Hamilton isn't alone in subscribing to this theory.
Dr. Richard L. Ison, an optometrist since 1990 who is practicing in Murphy, Texas, said it's true that having blue eyes makes it tougher to see during the day than those with darker eyes.
"Because of the lack of pigment in lighter color eyes -- like blue or green eyes as opposed to brown -- you get a lot more unwanted light and that can create glare problems," Ison said.
Ison said the phenomenon is called intraocular light scatter, meaning the light scatters as it enters, producing a focal point that isn't as good.
His solution for Hamilton: Find a pair of sunglasses that he's completely comfortable wearing while batting. The Rangers said Friday that he's going to try a new pair of contact lenses instead that Hamilton hopes will help with glare.
Hamilton had said Thursday that he finally found another pair of the sunglasses that he used while in the field last season and would give those a try.
"Hopefully that'll help my eyes relax enough to take them off and bat and put them on again," Hamilton said.
Ison noticed that in one of the Rangers' recent day games in Atlanta, Hamilton twice adjusted the sunglasses he was wearing during an at-bat. Then, with two strikes, Hamilton took them off completely.
"He has to find a pair that he likes and that will be the right tint for him," Ison said before the Rangers announced the contact solution. "He just has to try some different kinds and figure out the right light transmission factor for him."
The Rangers have two day games against the New York Mets this weekend.
Source: AP