Dodgers infielder Aaron Miles has had an exciting, and at times frightening, life both on the field and off of it. While playing in the Houston Astros minor league system in 2000, Miles was taken hostage in a hotel room by armed gunmen. One assailant fled the scene as police arrived, and Miles wrestled the remaining gunman to the floor. Police entered the room and shot the gunman while Miles was still grappling with him.
While playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in August of 2008, Miles fouled a ball into the on-deck circle and crushed the left eye socket of teammate Juan Encarnación. The injury effectively ended Encarnación’s baseball career.
Miles was no stranger to vision troubles. He suffered from substandard vision for years and wore corrective contact lenses, but astigmatism in his left eye always troubled him. Impaired vision delayed his recognition of oncoming pitches and resulted in a shorter swing.
Wearing contacts can be problematic for ballplayers. Blinking in brig...
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