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The (Visual) Rhetoric of Baseball

In the spirit of the upcoming baseball season, I felt compelled to throw the following curveball into the conversation. Some of the best hitters in history were blessed with better-than-perfect eyesight. In other words, they were able to detect the baseball leaving a pitcher’s hand earlier than most other hitters, allowing them to see the ball for longer amounts of time, and therefore have more chance of making contact with it. Also, unlike hitters with more average eyesight, they are able to detect the spin of the ball’s laces, thereby allowing them to predict the direction of a potential break. This kind of visual acuity gives these hitters a very distinct advantage, and it contributes largely to their success in the game. These hitters possess an advantage over other hitters that even corrective lenses or glasses cannot rival.

Submitted by Morgan S. on Thu, 2007-03-15 13:32.
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Submitted by Adryan on Wed, 2007-03-21 10:13.

Okay, so we can't physically modify someone's vision to give them this specific advantage. Does that indicate that it's not a strictly physical advantage? When I wore contacts, I had better than perfect vision, an advantage that glasses don't give me. Does this mean that I could be a great hitter? Certainly not. The mundane claim i'm making is that the physical benefit is necessary but not sufficient. The more radical claim I'd like to amke is that it is not a necessary cause at all, but a possible effect. But tha'ts just crazy, I know.