Kaenon

Seattle Mariners OF Raul Ibanez in his new Hard Kore All-Star White G12

NY Mets OF Marlon Byrd batting in his new Hard Kore All-Star White C28.

Cleveland Indians IF Mark Reynolds in Hard Kore Matte Red C12.

Dodgers 2B Mark Ellis wearing Hard Kore Matte Blue G12.

Washington Nationals OF Jayson Werth is off the DL and ripping it up in Hard Kore Matte Red G12.

Washington Nationals ace Gio Gonzalez in his new Hard Kore All-Star White G12.

Eric Sogard continues to get it done in Kaenon optical frame 401 Tortoise Crystal.

Toronto Blue Jays all-everything Emilio Bonafacio in Hard Kore White G12.

Blue Jays 1B Edwin Encarnacion in Hard Kore Graphite Green Hit G12, with Bonafacio in background.

Dodgers OF Scott Van Slyke was all over the field making diving catches yesterday wearing Hard Kore Matte Blue G12.

Games started over the weekend and regardless of the team you root for, you’re bound to see a common thread on the field. The ever growing Kaenon presence in baseball is in full swing. Here’s a glimpse of some baseball’s leading men, where they are now, and what they’re wearing.

Josh Hamilton, now an Angel, wearing Hard Kore Matte Red G12.

Jayson Werth and his ever growing beard has been wearing Hard Kore Matte Red G12

LA Dodgers OF Andre Ethier in Beacon Pacific Ocean G12

Dodgers up and comer SS/utility man, Justin Sellers is wearing Burnet Matte Blue G12

Raul Ibanez is now a Seattle Mariner, in Hard Kore JM10 G12

Former Bash Brother (with Jayson Werth in Washington) Michael Morse, is now also with the Seattle Mariners – here hitting in Hard Kore White G12

Mark Reynolds, hits in Hard Kore JM10 C28, will be playing 1B/3B for the restocked Cleveland Indians.

Colin Cowgill wearing Hard Kore, now with the NY Mets

Marlon Byrd in White Hard Kore C12, now with the NY Mets

Oakland A’s SS/2B Eric Sogard approached us towards end of last season. He might be the only position player in baseball who does and must wear corrective lenses when he plays his position and bats. He selected 401 Tortoise Clear with his prescription in clear lenses. He’s playing in this product now and loves it! Sogard says he loves them “for the fit, lightweight, durability and of course, the look!”

CJ Wilson is rocking Lewi Pinstripe in camp with the Angels.

Arizona Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt in Hard Kore JM10 G12

Now with the Tampa Bay Rays, 2B Kelly Johnson with Hard Kore Matte Blue G12.

Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly wearing his favorite Beacon Pacific Ocean G12 Rx Freestyle Progressive.

Rays Manager Joe Maddon in Hard Kore White G12 Rx Freestyle Progressive

San Diego Padres Manager Bud Black wearing Soft Kore Matte Black G12

In a dramatic Game 7, Bruce Bochy and his team claimed the National League title and advanced to the World Series last night. Bochy, who wears Hard Kore, and his team faced off against St. Louis and Carlos Beltran, who also wears Hard Kore, in the battle for their ticket to the Series. A result of great leadership, San Francisco crushed their opponent in a 9-0 win. This marked the sixth elimination game that the team has won during the 2012 postseason.

“We’re a little numb right now, to be honest,” Bochy said, “with our backs to the wall as long as they’ve been.”

We’re excited to see how the team fares in the World Series. Congratulations to Bruce Bochy and the team for an amazing postseason thus far.

The regular season is past, and it’s on to an intense October, filled with post-season excitement. More than ever, Kaenon is being worn on the baseball diamond by some of the world’s best, as they continue to turn to styles like Hard Kore, featuring our polarized SR-91 lenses, for unmatched comfort, clarity and performance.

See Kaenon in action as players like Jayson Werth, Michael Morse, manager Bruce Bochy, Raul Ibanez, Mark Reynolds, Carlos Beltran and more…

On July 10th, we’ll all get to witness baseball’s biggest stars take to the field for the annual All-Star game. The votes are in. Who did you choose?

With more and more major leaguers like Carlos Beltran and Edwin Encarnacion turning to Kaenon as the solution for harsh glare during day games, we’re sure you’ll be seeing plenty of styles like Hard Kore and Beacon out on the field during the big game. Here’s who we’ve seen wearing Kaenon recently:

“Bruce Bochy, manager of the San Francisco Giants, is the latest “mainstream” sports athlete to be wowed by the AC45. Yesterday Bochy, who led the Giants to baseball’s World Series title in 2010, was guest racer with team CEO and helmsman Russell Coutts, who guided ORACLE TEAM USA to victory in the 2010 America’s Cup.

During his 45 minutes onboard, the Giants’ giant sailed close past his home stadium of AT&T Park and headed out into the Bay off Alcatraz, where Coutts’ crew lit-up the boat with speeds near 28 knots. Bochy had an appreciation for watching the crew at work. He knows what it’s like to manage a roster of 25 people, all filling their roles and playing their parts for a common goal.

“What great teamwork. They can’t make a mistake there,” Bochy said. “I think they’d all make good infielders. They’re so nimble and they have to all be in unison or it won’t work. It was quite an experience, quite an adrenaline rush. It’s neat to see how much effort they put into it for a trophy.”

It was drenching conditions, but Bochy had already filled out his team’s lineup card for the night’s game against the Houston Astros before going afloat. Giants pitcher Matt Cain pitched a perfect game, facing the minimum of 27 batters in blanking the Astros in both hits and runs.

Asked if both teams could repeat their 2010 success again in 2013, Coutts said: “There’s really only one option. We have to go out and win again.”

(From AmericasCup.com)

Bruce Bochy wears Kaenon Lewi sunglasses.

If you were watching baseball over Mother’s Day weekend, there’s no doubt you caught a glimpse of a Kaenon polarized sunglasses with pink logos! To help celebrate the big day, Kaenon athletes united in sporting the pink “K” on their shades as a non-verbal shout-out to their moms. Check out Don Mattingly, below, wearing Beacon and Joe Maddon, in Hard Kore, both with pink!

Also in Kaenon baseball this week, we have Justin Sellers of Los Angeles, wearing Burnet, New York’s Raul Ibanez in Hard Kore, and Edwin Encarnacion in Hard Kore:

This week in Kaenon baseball brings us Jamey Carroll of Minnesota in a pair of Hard Kore, Cody Ross, in Jetty, whose bat has ratcheted five homers so far this season in Boston, and Don Mattingly who was recently featured in the New York Times wearing a pair of prescription Beacon (read the full article here).

From Boston’s Kevin Youkilis, to Tampa Bay’s Joe Maddon, and beyond, Kaenon has been in the spotlight lately, with more and more players choosing sunglass styles like the ever-popular Hard Kore as an essential piece of on-field equipment.

Check out some imagery and stories below:

Josh Hamilton was recently asked about his vision while playing during day games in an article on ESPN. His response?

“…I’ve got some shades I like for the field,” Hamilton said. “I got it figured out toward the end of last year.”

Get the inside scoop on Joe Maddon from the perspective of his wife (this should be good!) in a recently interview from Tampa Bay Online. What does she think of her husband’s sometimes “less-than-conservative” style?

“[It look's] like he was channeling a ’50s biker dude, especially when he slipped on his Kaenon sunglasses.”

Not necessarily a bad thing, right?

This year’s baseball season is officially underway. Opening Day brought that familiar buzz we feel every year as the season begins. Check out some photos from the big day, and keep a lookout for Kaenon on the field and in the dugout, including Joe Maddon in his new 601 Optical frames!

With the first season games just days away, Spring Training is coming to an end! Professional ball players have taken to the field and are bringing Kaenon Polarized sunglasses along for the ride due to their unmatched polarized clarity and sport functionality.

Hard Kore seems to be the Kaenon frame of choice in most positions around the diamond, due to its lightweight, semi-rimless frame design, Variflex nose pads, and unique styling. Players like Ryan Howard, Josh Hamilton, Raul Ibanez, Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Beltran and Cody Ross have made the frame a regular part of their on-field equipment.

We’re excited for the 2012 baseball season and the excitement that the game brings. Make sure you’re eyes are as protected as the pros are as you head to the stadium. Check out the full line of Kaenon Polarized sunglasses here.

Long-time Kaenon supporter Joe Maddon, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, was selected as the 2011 American League Manager of the Year, marking his second win (2008) with the franchise. Closing out their season with a 17-8 charge that secured the wild card slot during the last game of the regular season, Maddon was able to motivate a team that was down 9.5 games in September (not to mention the team was comprised of the second lowest payroll in the major leagues) and carry them to the post-season.

“As September began, you noticed things weren’t working out in Boston and our guys just started believing more and more every day,” Maddon said.

Maddon has been a long-time wearer of Kaenon Polarized sunglasses, wearing everything from Segment to Hard Kore to Jetty. A proponent of the Kaenon prescription program, Maddon is able to use his Freestyle Progressive polarized lenses in all settings, between the dugout and the field, for perfect, corrected vision. Joe’s on field leadership finds harmony with the Kaenon Polarized story, as the brand continues to lead the sunglass industry with innovation and premium design. Maddon’s ability to lead has served him and the Rays well, and merited the honor recently received.

“The one thing I preach is, ‘You win hard for 30, you lose hard for 30 minutes, you move on to the next day,’” Maddon said. “I think we’ve always maintained that attitude.”

Congratulations Joe!

In a back-and-forth World Series that has been nothing short of intense, Texas is looking for their fourth and final win on tonight in which they would claim their first title in franchise history.

The Series, currently being led 3-2 by Texas, has put some of baseball’s finest players on display, like St. Louis’ Albert Pujols who racked up 3 home runs in Game 3. It has been Texas, however, that has secured the Series lead, led by Josh Hamilton and Mitch Moreland, both wearing Kaenon Polarized Hard Kore sunglasses. Battling a strained groin injury, Josh Hamilton has fought through the pain and continues to deliver, game after game.

“Don’t be surprised if he comes up big,” said Ron Washington, Texas manager, of Hamilton. “Because I certainly won’t.”

In Monday’s Game 5, Moreland smashed a solo home run (click for video) to the upper, right-field deck in the third inning that kick-started the Texas offense and ended a hitting slump that had been plaguing his post-season play.

“It got us back in the game and re-energized the crowd, it was huge,” said David Murphy, left fielder for Texas. “It wasn’t just any home run, it was a bomb. It was a big moment in the game, just getting us on the board.”

Game 6 of the Series will be played on Thursday night in St. Louis. Will Hamilton, Moreland and the rest of the team clinch the crown, or will we head into a seventh and final game? You better believe we’ll be watching…

Josh even made his way to the NFL 50-yard line, calling the coin toss for the Cowboys prior to kick-off at their NFL game against the St. Louis Rams. The Rangers play a couple parking lots over from the Cowboys complex and Josh and his St. Louis counterpart, Lance Berkman, were asked to participate in the ceremony to promote their game which started on Fox just after the Cowboys game ended. Great to see Josh sporting the Hard Kores, even on the football field.

***WORLD SERIES UPDATE

In a turning of the tides that will, without a doubt, go down in MLB history, St. Louis fought down to the very last strike and rallied into extra innings for the win during Game 6. Hamilton smashed a two-run homer that looked like it was going to give Texas the World Series title. However, after rallying, scoring two runs to tie the game and heading into another inning, it was a walk-off home run in the 11th by David Freese that secured the victory for St. Louis and swung the momentum in their favor through Game 7.

It was an incredible finish to not only the series, but to an exciting year of baseball for Kaenon Polarized. We’re counting down the days until Spring Training…

The 2011 MLB playoffs are underway and it’s going to be a battle all the way to the World Series. Currently wearing Kaenon, Josh Hamilton and Mitch Moreland, in Hard Kore, are led the Rangers against Joe Maddon, in Hard Kore Rx, and his Rays, while New York and Detroit round out the remainder of the American League.

On Tuesday, the Rangers edged out their third post-season win against the Rays, claiming their place in the American League Champion Series. Hamilton and Moreland may have a second shot at the World Series title if they can keep their game as sharp as it has been.

In the National League, Philadelphia is being led by manager Charlie Manuel, wearing Klay, in search of their third World title, an addition to their 1980 and 2008 wins. Players wearing Kaenon Polarized sunglasses like Raul Ibanez, Placido Polanco, Wilson Valdez, Hunter Pence, John Mayberry and pitcher Cliff Lee have dominated during the regular season and are carrying that same fire into the post-season as they face off with St. Louis. Popular Kaenon Polarized sunglass styles among the Phillies roster include Jetty and Hard Kore.

The regular season is winding down and with the regular season ending on Wednesday, major league teams are already clinching division titles. Among the teams, key players like Raul Ibanez, Placido Polanco, Wilson Valdez, Hunter Pence, John Mayberry, Cliff Lee and manager Charlie Manuel are wearing Kaenon Polarized sunglasses on the field, in styles like Rhino and Hard Kore. With the playoffs beginning in less than two weeks, players are looking for any advantage over their opponents and are turning to Kaenon Polarized for improved vision and glare reduction on the diamond.

Other teams vying for a place in the playoffs are being led by players like Josh Hamilton, of Texas, who wears Kaenon Polarized sunglasses (Hard Kore) as well. It has been an exciting season and we’ll be watching closely to see who will carry their regular season momentum into October.

ESPN’s Richard Durrett recently wrote an article entitled “Josh Hamilton improving during the day,” in which Hamilton explains what he’s been doing to improve his performance during day games. As it turns out, Kaenon Polarized sunglasses, namely Hard Kore White G12, are a key part of the equation for his improvement. See an excerpt from the full article below:

“Much was made of his blue eyes and squinting issues under the bright sun. But Hamilton now has a routine he follows and it’s made a difference. He uses some eye drops to help lubricate his eyes, helping him let in enough light to see, but not too much where he’s blurry or a bit blinded. And he has a new pair of sunglasses that he’s worn the past few months. The brand is Kaenon and he’s found the proper tinting.

‘I’m more comfortable up there and I’m picking the ball up,’ Hamilton said.”

Those in the major leagues know as well as we do, the importance of keeping your eyes protected and safe from the harsh rays of the sun. With Kaenon’s full line of sunglasses featuring the company’s patented SR-91 polarized lenses, athletes can see the sharpest details with a lot more contrast.

Worn by some of the best players in baseball including, Jayson Werth, Andre Ethier, Kevin Youkilis and Michael Morse, along with managers Joe Maddon and Don Mattingly in SR-91 prescription lenses. All Kaenon Polarized sunglasses eliminate distracting glare thanks to Glare 86™, Kaenon’s proprietary polarizing lens filter that removes reflected and ambient glare that can impair vision.

Protection isn’t only needed by the pros. An impact to the face can happen to anyone when least expected and UV rays, dirt, wind and debris will abuse any set of unprotected eyes. Just as one would wear a batting helmet to protect against impact injuries or apply sunscreen to prevent burning and skin cancer, Kaenon Polarized sunglasses are impact resistant and block all harmful UV light, protecting your eyes from long-term damage and eye disease like macular degeneration, cataracts and pterygium of the eye. Shatter resistance and crystal-clear optics are the hallmark SR-91 lens qualities, allowing wearers to see what others don’t and protect against potential impact. Protection aside, Kaenon sunglasses represent a lifestyle, one in which performance isn’t just important, but a way of life allowing those serious about results to take their game to the next level.

We’re just about a month away from the playoffs and Kaenon Polarized sunglasses are playing a vital role in helping many of the world’s best baseball players to see the game more clearly than ever.

Baseball players like Kevin Youkilis, John Mayberry, Aaron Miles, Andre Ethier, Edwin Encarnacion, Emilio Bonifacio, Michael Morse, Rajai Davis, Carlos Santana, Dave Martinez, Corey Hart as well as managers Don Mattingly, Manny Acta, and Joe Maddon wear a variety of Kaenon Polarized sunglasses on the field and at the plate.

When asking the question, “What are the best sunglasses to bat in?” SR-91 polarized lenses are the answer, providing a glare-free view of the ball leaving the pitcher’s hand, allowing a batter to track rotation and grip more closely than they could with their naked-eye. Sunglass styles in our Kore Performance line, including the ever-popular Hard Kore, feature semi-rimless frames to allow for uninterrupted vision whether at bat, fielding a ground ball, or tracking a pop-fly through the outfield.

See the pros and Kaenon Polarized in action below:

Alright baseball fans, we’re mid-season and before you know it the playoffs will be knocking on our door. It’s your turn to let us know how you think things will end up by the end of October. Comment below and share your predictions…

To kick things off, we want to congratulate Emilio Bonifacio of the Marlins for receiving the National League Player of the Month award in July. He wears the ever popular Hard Kore with a G12 lens during the day to eliminate glare and see the ball clearly as he makes incredible plays out on the field. Congratulations.

We’ve enjoyed how things have turned out so far (leaving all personal team preferences aside in order to keep things fairly neutral), and we’ve been excited to see more and more major leaguers turning to Kaenon Polarized as the answer to the long-standing question, “What are the best sunglasses for baseball?” Players like the 2010 AL MVP, Josh Hamilton are being seen around the diamond wearing Kaenon. And let’s not forget Michael Morse who is having quite a year, hitting consistently over .300 in Hard Kore.

Clearly, the unmatched optics of our SR-91 polarized lenses prove that when polarization is done right, all of the common problems like depth-perception issues, distortion, color misrepresentation and poor clarity all melt away. With Kaenon those problems don’t exist, just ask the pros:

Major league manager Joe Maddon recently sat down with TheScore.com for a quick interview, talking Kaenon Polarized, baseball and thrill-seeking. See the clip below:

The hottest player in Baseball today, and through the first month of the season, is the LA Dodgers right fielder, Andre Ethier.

Ethier worked on many things in the off-season, one being his ability to see the ball in day games, better. He began hitting in Kaenon Polarized which, he says, has provided him an uncanny ability to see the release point quicker, the ball sharper and with more contrast to pick up the seams, spin and velocity quicker. He’s been tuning his vision by alternating between the darker G12 lens for the outfield – where seeing the ball off the hitter’s bat, about 250 feet away, and tracking it through the stands, fans, and up into the bright sky allows him to get an extra jump on the ball. He then switches to the G28 lens, in his favorite Matte Black Beacon, when cloudy or less than bright conditions prevail.

Many are touting Ethier as one of the best outfielders in the game – a true Gold Glove candidate this year.

But hitting is where Ethier really shines. Is it coincidence that Ethier is on top of the league in hitting stats, broke records in April and just wrapped up a 30 game hitting streak – in the first season he has dedicated himself to hitting in his Kaenon’s during every day game at bat?  He throws on his Matte Black Beacons in G28 lenses when hitting – every time – allowing him to receive more light to the eye, to process more detailed information, quicker. Some quick, current facts on Ethier:

-He broke the record for longest hitting streak in the month of April – held by last year’s Dodger manager Joe Torre.
-He now holds the Dodgers 2nd longest hitting streak in franchise history – dating back to the 1800’s.

It’s great to see some of Ethier wearing Kaenon Polarized this season, not to mention some of the managers and coaches who are some of the most respected people in the game. We’re excited to see how the Ethier fares during the rest of the season in Kaenon’s. From all of us at Kaenon, congratulations on an incredible hitting streak!

Kaenon Polarized was front and center at the major league home opener in San Francisco. During the World Series award ceremony, Cody Ross wore Jetty Titanium G12 and manager Bruce Bochy could be seen in Hard Kore Titanium G12.

We’re anxious to see what the coming months will bring for the defending world champions.

We can’t seem to get enough pairs of White and Titanium Hard Kore and Klay out to Spring Training. More and more MLB players are being seen in Kaenon Polarized over the past few weeks including players Erick Aybar, Emilio Bonifacio, Hanley Ramirez, Milton Bradley, Moises Sierra, Placido Polanco and Gabe Kapler. Keep a close watch on the diamond as more and more players are turning to Kaenon as their sunglass of choice for clarity out on the dirt and grass.

Want in on the Kore Performance fashion movement in the MLB? Get your non-glove hand on a pair over here. We’re not promising you’ll get drafted anytime soon, but at least you’ll see (and look) better than anyone else playing ball in your local city league.

Opening Day is only two weeks away! Check out MLB players and their Kaenon’s in action below:

Let Punxsutawny Phil say what he wants, but for us the official mark of the spring season is the opening game of Major League Baseball Spring Training. If you keep your eyes pealed (and you know we are) you can spot Kaenon Polarized all over the diamonds in Arizona and Florida.

We recently spotted Josh Becket (Rhino G12), Kevin Youkilis (Hard Kore G12) and Placido Polanco (Klay G12) with Kaenon Polarized out on the field:

Just before Spring Training kicked off, Kaenon Polarized wearer Bruce Bochy, manager of the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants caught up with Conway Bowman for some saltwater fly fishing. The two ventured off the coast of San Diego in search of sharks and got exactly what they were looking for.

After a few hours of chumming, multiple blue sharks showed up to see what was going on. Who knows, maybe they were just Giants fans who cruised down from SF for a photo-op (which one lucky, or unlucky, shark did get).

After another hour spent teasing the sharks, Bruce managed to hook the biggest shark of the bunch − a 200+ pound blue shark.

Conway Bowman wears Rhino Black C12 and Bruce Bochy wears Hard Kore Black C12.

“Castoffs and Misfits.” That’s how Bruce Bochy characterized his World Series winning players. He molded this band of passionate hard workers and took the San Francisco Giants to the promised land for the first time in 54 years, since they moved west. “Bruce Bochy is making every right move. I don’t think I have ever seen a World Series managed this well in my life,” said Fox announcer Tim McCarver, while they were clinching Game 5. Bochy proved all season long, he wasn’t afraid to make changes he felt would improve his club. He carried that philosophy into the World Series, making every right decision. Maybe that’s why Bruce has been a loyal Kaenon Polarized wearer since our inception – he’s not afraid to go against the grain and he wants the best. He wears a variety of Kaenon Polarized styles – what feels good and what feels right at the time. He wore Kanvas, Black, G12 lens during the World Series, Spindle S3, Black Chrome, G12 lens and Lewi, Black & Black Pearl, G12 lenses all during the season. Congratulations Bruce! You’ve earned this championship and Kaenon Polarized was excited to be along for the ride…now let’s go fishing!