# What are those clear glasses the Angels' pitchers were wearing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-clear-glasses-the-angels-pitchers-were-wearing/134721 "2002-10-31T17:05:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-clear-glasses-the-angels-pitchers-were-wearing/134721/1 "2002-10-31T17:05:45Z")
Okay, this may be Cafe Society, but it is a fairly general question. I noticed the Angels’ were wearing clear glasses when the pitched. What were they and what is the purpose? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-clear-glasses-the-angels-pitchers-were-wearing/134721/2 "2002-10-31T17:12:54Z")
Dunno, but you’re not the only one who noticed. 😃 > **[OPEN SEASON / This time, pitcher had closer look](https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/OPEN-SEASON-This-time-pitcher-had-closer-look-2758509.php)** > > The 31-year-old rookie watched last year's World Series finale while pitching in Puerto... > [@](#): > > OPEN SEASON > OPEN SEASON > This time, pitcher had closer look > > Tom FitzGerald Tuesday, October 29, 2002 > > AMONG THE Angels’ pitchers who kept the Giants at bay in Game 7 was Brendan Donnelly, one of those guys in the We-Are-Devo glasses. It would be a rose-colored viewpoint to call his career checkered. [http://www.islandpacket.com/sports/local/story/1820826p-1819598c.html](http://www.islandpacket.com/sports/local/story/1820826p-1819598c.html) > [@](#): > > Q&A with Brendan Donnelley > An islander in the Series > > Islander reflects upon eventful rookie season > BY JEFF KIDD, The Island Packet > Other stories by Jeff Kidd > Published Friday, October 18th, 2002 > > Brendan Donnelly’s rookie season has been one of the most improbable baseball stories of the 2002 season. > > Donnelly, a 31-year-old right-hander who makes his off-season home on Hilton Head Island, made his major league debut this spring … at an age when many pitchers without major league experience probably would retire. > > \< snip \> > > IP: What about those glasses? When did you start wearing that particular style and who is your fashion consultant? > > BD: I’ve been wearing glasses on the mound since 1997. I tried contacts, but that didn’t work out for me. The ones I wear now are Oakleys, but they’re not the big, wide ones. Because of my head whip, with their other glasses, I’d go from plastic to prescription to plastic at about the time a ball would be whizzing back at me at 90 mph, and I don’t want that. Anyway, Oakley sent them to me as everyday wear, and I said no way I’ll wear these things every day. I’d look like a librarian or something. But when I put them on and pull the hat down low, I guess it looks OK. Was it the entire pitching staff, or just him? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-clear-glasses-the-angels-pitchers-were-wearing/134721/3 "2002-10-31T17:15:41Z")
Ben Weber wears glasses, but they are definitely not Oakleys. Weber’s weren’t particularly stylish. Troy Percival needs to wear glasses, but chooses not to wear any on the mound out of vanity. That’s why he is always squinting when he pitches. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-clear-glasses-the-angels-pitchers-were-wearing/134721/4 "2002-11-01T15:34:40Z")
[bump] Just seeing if anyone else has any idea. ---
**Author:** ![epraz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/82dd89/32.png) [@epraz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epraz)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-clear-glasses-the-angels-pitchers-were-wearing/134721/5 "2002-11-01T19:24:20Z")
I would assume that Donnelly and Weber don’t like contacts–they may have dry eyes that make it difficult to wear contacts (like me :)) and so they have sports glasses–probably frames made from plastic that are resistant to breaking when bent, stepped on, hit with baseballs, etc ;). I also assume the strange shape was so there wasn’t a lack of peripheral vision clarity, something standard glasses have.