Did Reggie Jackson Wear Glasses or Goggles? Actually, Both.

It’s quite the interesting eyewear conundrum. To better understand the question though, we need to take a step back and realize that not one, but two men named Reggie Jackson made their way into professional sports wearing eyewear during games.

| Read: 3 min

Reggie Jackson of the New York Yankees following through after a swing while wearing his eyeglasses
Look at those Rec Specs on Reggie!

Leisure Gear & Swag

The first was Major League Baseball’s Reggie Jackson, who made wearing eye glasses famous when he played for the New York Yankees. The second is Reggie Jackson of the National Basketball League who wears goggles on the court.

Let’s dive into how this all began.

Why did Reggie Jackson wear glasses in baseball?

Baseball postseason legend Reggie Jackson wore glasses to help him see better. You don’t play baseball for 20 years, hit 500+ homers, and rack up a Hall of Fame career without being able to see the ball at the plate.

We’d love to argue that Reggie’s vision contributed to his all-time career strikeout record of 2,597, but Mr. Jackson did NOT get cheated at the plate. The man hacked like a lumberjack. This must have been quite the sight to see, as baseball players today have high K rates, so much unlike the 70s and 80s of Reggie’s era.

What kind of glasses did Reggie Jackson wear?

One brand of glasses that Reggie wore were Rec Specs by Liberty Sport. Another answer is the kind that helps you win 5 World Series titles and 2 World Series MVP awards. Sounds like the glasses should get assists in the book for those.

PS - The Yankees have won the most World Series games

Why does Reggie Jackson wear goggles in basketball?

According to the LA Times, Reggie Jackson began using the goggles because one of the Phoenix Suns players scratched his eye during a game. His teammates approved of the change, nothing that, “... after he scored 26 points and tied his career high with six three-pointers in his first game wearing the glasses, Jackson’s teammates were convinced of their fit.”

Check out the ReggieVision Goggles Filter with Paul George and Terrance Mann of the LA Clippers.

When did Reggie Jackson first wear the goggles?

A quick review of the LA Clippers 2021 season shows two games in April where they played the Phoenix Suns. So, he first started wearing the goggles on or after April 8th, 2021, or, April 28th of 2021.

Upon further inspection, he first started wearing the goggles during the April 9th game against the Houston Rockets, where he went 6-for-9 from behind the three-point line.

Who is Reggie Jackson the NBA player?

Reginald Shon Jackson is a professional basketball player in the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers. He played three seasons with the Boston College Eagles before declaring for the 2011 NBA Draft, when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him 24th overall.

What kind of goggles does Reggie Jackson wear?

The Clippers guard wears Oakley brand goggles.

What other famous pro athletes wore glasses?

Wearing rec specs is certainly a way to get yourself trending on social media. What’s funny is that wearing rec specs got you trending no matter what, as people always talked about players like Kareem and Kurt Rambis having them on back in the day. It was all over TV in the pre ESPN days, and, all over their basketball cards.

Heck, even pre-Lakers Lebron James donned them for a few games 5 seasons ago due to a corneal injury. At least the goggles look cooler than the face mask that Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons used to wear. If you’re asking us, we’d rather have the glasses on than share in that new look. Just saying.

MLB Players

NBA Players

NHL Players

Wrapping Up

At the end of the day, if it helps a player perform better, we’re for it. If glasses or goggles or even a face mask helps a player get more rebounds or hit more homeruns in the playoffs, then by all means wear them. Because better performance is the only way to get paid in free agency, and that’s what seems to matter most these days.

To us, what matters most is where you stand in the rec spec rankings. And while both Reggie Jacksons are cool, the rec spec rankings is where Kurt Rambis is king.

Leisure Gear & Swag

References & Sources