Superstitions in the Game of Baseball

We all have our own routines that we deem necessary for success, even if they seem a little crazy at times. Some are a little more bizarre than others. Take for example, there are some fans who think that by having a certain routine before sitting down to watch the game will bring there team luck, and then there are those who think it’s the way you sit down that determines the outcome of the game ahead. Some fans believe it is their presence at games cheering the home team on that will assure a victory. There is also an unwritten rule that says if you leave during a time your team is losing and they start to come back, then you shouldn’t come back and instead take one for the team because you were the bad luck. What about a fan who wears the same jersey every game without washing it after a win (All of our significant others love this one.). Seem nuts? Well not to former Phillies, Expos, Twins and Angels manager Gene Mauch who after wins wouldn’t wash his uniform, and after a couple of streak wins was known for being the smelliest man in the league.

Fans aren’t the only one’s crazy about superstition just ask the athletes they love. In baseball it is said to be bad luck to step on the foul line while entering or exiting the field of play, and it is also “unlucky” to speak of a no-hitter while it is taking place. Some even believe sleeping with their bat will get them out of a hitting slump or spitting into their hands before they go up to bat will help out. Pitcher Wade Boggs thought it to be lucky to only eat chicken the day of a game in which he was to play in. The newly acquired Cubs shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra, makes sure to step on every step with both feet when exiting and entering the dugout.

Now before you start thinking baseball players are the only athletes that have crazy rituals. Let’s look at football. Did you know that in football it is said to be lucky for a player to have a jersey with double numbers on it. It is also said that it is bad luck for a player to take a new number once he is traded. There was even a voodoo ritual held at a playoff game in New Orleans in 1999 that was said to cast evil spirits away from the Superdome. Then there are hockey players who think it is lucky to tap the goalie on the pads before a game, and you better bet you won’t hear the word “shutout” in a hockey locker room before a game for fear of a jinx. For all you basketball junkies out there don’t forget to wipe the bottom of those sneakers for good luck, just ask any NBA player. Oh and make sure you are the last person to shoot a basket in warm-ups to have that stellar game.

So do these superstitions actually work? Well I say who cares! That’s right who cares it is all part of the excitement that our favorite sport brings. We should all just sit back and cross our fingers, do a little dance, throw on the stinky jersey, and enjoy the game!