The Patron Saint of Rec Specs

Today's new technology, what with its contact lenses, Lasik surgeries, and flip-down shades, has all but eradicated glasses and goggles from baseball fashion. Even Eric Gagne has given up the ghost.

And that's a damn shame. Guys like late-80s Greg Maddux and mid-90s LaTroy Hawkins were role models for aspiring four-eyed ballplayers (not to mention mustache aficionados):

As a youngster whose extreme near-sightedness forced me to strap on some goggles, I learned that there were no lack of heroes for a bespectacled Little Leaguer like myself to look up to. They were the true warriors in the sport, the guys who weren’t afraid to face a pitcher despite the knowledge that an errant fastball could easily imbed shards of glass into their foreheads.

Now I only used Rec Specs for basketball, but I can remember appreciating the thick plastic bars protecting my face as one of the fringe benefits of being a peewee catcher. However, I could not fit the catcher's mask over my well-proportioned head while wearing my glasses. I had to take them off every time I put on the mask and then get someone to slide them through the wide "eye slot."

This was just before parents began to demand highly specialized and "safer" baseball gear; whatever, I played without batting gloves, rocked a $5 athletic supporter, got drilled in the hip more times than I can count and I'm still here.

Anyway, glasses don't project a very intimidating, athletic look--Rec Specs even less so. All the myopic kids on the diamond needed their own hero, someone who played defense with aplomb and batted like a journeyman infielder. They needed a patron saint:


Christopher Andrew Sabo: your '93 Fleer card was my favorite, but I can't argue with the classic illustrated Donruss Diamond Kings. You used a corked bat once, but I can forgive you for that. You were a Rookie of the Year, a three time All-Star and a World Series Champion with the 1990 Cincinnati Reds.

But more importantly, you were an inspiration. Whenever I was afraid a botched curveball would hit me in the face, you were right there with me. Thank you, Chris Sabo, on behalf of ocular-challenged athletes everywhere.

Tom Henke's Army [Joe Sports Fan]