Umps Offered Eye Care

After several questionable calls during their failed playoff bid to beat the Yankees to the World Series, a lot of Red Sox fans may have grumbled that Major League umpires need to get their eyes examined.

Boston eye doctor Carmen Puliafito is offering free, confidential eye care to all Major League umps. He suspects many of them are secretly near-sighted, but don't want to admit it because it might jeopardize their careers.

The doctor is putting his money where his mouth is, reports WBZÂ's Jay McQuaid.Â"

Â"Any major league umpire can come for free eye examination, free eyeglasses and free laser correction if they want to go out there and see well without glasses, they can do it,Â" said the unabashed Sox fan.

Â"This is our way of showing the Red Sox fans in Boston are sympathetic to the umpires. We want to help them out, if we can do that. We want the Red Sox to have a fair shot at the World Series next year.Â"

So far, there have been no takers.

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