So many explanations were offered in 2006 for Jhonny Peralta's sharp dropoff at the plate and in the field. They included: he let up after signing a big cointract; he grew too tall and had become too bulky to play shortstop; he was out of shape and didn't work hard enough at his job; etc., etc.

Here's one I hadn't heard: Peralta couldn't see. Not too well, anyway. From shortstop, when he'd peer in to see Victor Martinez's signals behind the plate, everything looked fuzzy. Certainly, Peralta's 2006 campaign seemed like a blur, especially coming on the heels of the previous season when his hitting and defense made the decision to let Omar Vizquel go seem like a good one.

Even though he committed fewer errors last season than in the previous one, Peralta's range was terrible. There were games when he looked as if he was glued to one spot.

But now it turns out Peralta's sight was giving him problems. Nearsightness wrecked his season, and when the Indians insisted that he try contact lenses, Jhonny found them uncomfortable. Not until the final two weeks of the season did he go back to the contacts. Suddenly, he found his batting stroke and he even seemed to move better in the field.

I would assume that Eric Wedge spent most of the year hounding Peralta to use his contact lenses. The kid is stubborn, though, and not until Wedge reamed him out at a meeting that blistered the paint on the walls did Peralta finally go back to the contacts.

In December, Peralta had LASIK surgery, which, according to the Indians, corrected his vision problem. Why he didn't have it sooner is anyone's guess, but Wedge and staff are now telling everyone how pleased they are with Peralta.

According to Bill Livingston's column in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer, Peralta is still growing. Even though he'll turn 25 in May, the shortstop grew another inch and three-quarters during the off season. A year ago, the Indians reported a similar growth spurt. He seems old to be growing so much, but Peralta must now be closing in on 6-foot-3, which does seem tall for a shortstop.

Some quality shortstops have been that tall -- Cal Ripken comes to mind. But, usually when you're that tall, you can't move as quickly as you need to play the position. We'll see.

Peralta wants to be a shortstop, however, and turns up his nose every time somebody mentions that third base might be a more suitable position for him.

Clearly, he'll be one of the most studied players in camp. If Peralta's defense remains shoddy, he won't stay at short for long. Should Andy Marte fail to impress at the hot corner, that could be Peralta's future. Or, he might even be offered in a trade.

For now, though, the Indians seem pleased that Jhonny can see. It should help the picture become clearer in the days ahead.

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The answer to yesterday's quiz: Grady Sizemore in tooling around Winter Haven in a classic, 1966 Lincoln convertible.

Today's quiz: How many pinch-hit home runs has David Dellucci hit during his career?

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-- Kevin Cuneo