Curtis Granderson Struck Out So Many Times This Year That He's Literally Getting His Eyes Checked

Curtis Granderson Struck Out So Many Times This Year That He’s Literally Getting His Eyes Checked

by Jen Slothower on Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 2:27PM

Yankees stars need to stop taking their fans' taunts so seriously.

First it was Nick Swisher, who appeared very hurt by some New Yorkers' negativity. Now Curtis Granderson sounds like he's responding to the old cliche to "get his eyes checked" by … actually going and getting his eyes checked.

Granderson will be going to an eye specialist amid concerns that poor eyesight may have been behind his mounting strikeouts this season, the New York Daily News reports.

Granderson first had his eyes checked when he started with the Yankees in 2010, and he found out his vision was 20/30. He got contact lenses to help him out, and it may have worked — he struck out just 116 times that season, compared to 141 the season before (although that year was also the beginning of his hitting resurgence under Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, as Granderson regained his power stroke, leading to 84 total home runs in 2011 and 2012).

The strikeout numbers have been creeping up, though — 169 last year, and 195 this year, including a wretched 16 strikeouts in the postseason in just 30 at-bats.

The New York Daily News said it could not get a hold of Granderson to see whether he had been wearing his contacts in the last two seasons.

This much is sure, though: There are a lot of strange reasons flying around as to why the Yankees crumbled at the plate in the playoffs against the Orioles and Tigers, hitting just .188 this postseason.