“My parents were going to support whatever I tried, but to be honest, it was the first and only time when I truly felt alone,” Lopez said. “My parents were receiving word from doctors who thought it was impossible for me to play. They didn’t discourage me from trying, but I could always tell that they were skeptical and didn’t want me to be too hard on myself if I couldn’t do it.”
Three months after he was struck, Lopez began to swing a bat. He practiced with the team and amazingly had played in three games by year’s end. But in the batter’s box, the freshman was confused by what he was seeing—and not seeing.
“Without depth perception, I was completely baffled on anything that wasn’t a fastball. I would swing and miss the ball by two feet,” Lopez said. “Plus, as a right-handed hitter, my left eye is my power eye. I hit for power in high school [belting five home runs as a senior], so I’ve had to completely alter my swing just to put the ball in play.”
After practicing hard during the off-season, Lopez proved his critics wrong during his sophomore year, cracking the lineup in 22 games, eight as a starter. Lopez hit .290 on the year with six doubles in 31 at-bats.
Last season, Lopez continued to improve, ending the season third on the team with a .314 batting average and peaking at .351 after going 4-for-5 in a 17-5 victory against Cornell on April 7.
“I would say I have completely recovered from the injury [physically], but I’m still only 80 percent of what I was,” Lopez said. “I still have some trouble with change-ups, but I’m getting better. I have learned that I see the ball in one place and must swing in another to connect solidly. But I am getting to know where that place is, and I’m feeling really comfortable getting ready for the Ivy League season.”
What Lopez has done—returning to the field with his vision severely impaired—is virtually unprecedented in baseball. Former Minnesota Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett had to retire when glaucoma took away his sharp eyesight.
Last summer, ex-Red Sox righthander Bryce Florie successfully completed a comeback from a line drive back to the mound that permanently blurred his vision. But according to Lopez, Florie had a major advantage being a pitcher in the American League—he didn’t have to bat.
“There is a huge difference between eye injuries to hitters and pitchers,” Lopez said. “If I was a pitcher, I don’t think it would be as bad because my main problem is depth perception, and that only drastically alters my hitting.”
Since Lopez has returned to the field, he has no fear of getting re-injured.
“I realize it was a freak accident,” Lopez said. “If I’m afraid of the ball, I will never be able to hit. I will duck out of the way instead of stepping into it.”
Despite his composure and success on the field, Lopez still senses hints of insecurity from teammates and coaches.
“Just a couple weeks ago, when the team was in Florida, Coach Walsh came up to me and asked me if I could see the ball,” Lopez said. “He doesn’t want me to get hurt and is still scared sometimes. But it doesn’t bother me. I feel great.”
So what’s next for Lopez? Would he consider making another run at the majors as the first one-eyed hitter to break the big leagues?
Probably not. Instead, Lopez is focusing on another challenge—law school.
“Before my injury, I never, ever would have thought of going to law school,” Lopez said. “All I wanted to do was play major league baseball. Harvard, however, has opened other doors for me. I’m planning on going to law school at George Washington next year. How things can change.”