If you ever wreak athletics , or if you ’re a sport sports fan , you in all probability acknowledge that player can be a superstitious lot . particularly in professional variation , where so much rides on a win , players employ all sorts of ritual to ensure a successful secret plan . These rite and superstitious notion can set out from the simple to the absolutely wacky . Some are universal , and some are unique to individual participant .
sport psychologist say that superstitions are a collar mechanism for players . Even though a player ’s performance depends on science and exercise , a ritual may avail advance ego - sureness in a stressful site [ source : Caine ] . Many jock – and it seemsbaseballplayers specially – trust if they do n’t do these rite , they ’ll bring tough hazard upon themselves and the game . And the thing about rituals and superstitious notion is that they do n’t offend anyone . A superstition like wearing the same socks throughout the playoffs does n’t do hurt ( except maybe to the people who have to sense them ) .
One very vernacular baseball superstition is spitting on a unexampled baseball game bat . mean to bring expert lot to the possessor , it ’s unclear where this good destiny ritual came from . A related superstitious notion is that skewer into your hand before clean up the bat also brings good circumstances . We ’re not sure where these and other classic baseball superstitions originated , but a guess is that way back when , one person did it with successful results and the ritual easy spread , enduring through time .
Spitting is a usual radical in superstitious notion worldwide . Thought to guard off evil spirit and bad luck , saliva is a charm against witchcraft in many cultures . This superstitious notion date back centuries [ informant : Brewer ] . You see a lot of spit in baseball game as it is – tobacco juice , sunflower seeds , spit saliva in the dirt . In fact , a plenty of baseball game superstitious notion and ritual are n’t exactly hygienic . Here are just a few examples .
A wad of gum stuck to your hat is supposedly right luck . Not rinse any of your train or dress ( even your underclothes ) will keep a come through streak going . This one might only be unhygienic if nature call , but it ’s also bad luck if a dog walks across the baseball diamond before the first delivery . Then there are superstitious notion maintain by specific players . Ball player Moises Alou used to urinate on his hands in the belief that it prevented him from getting blisters . Mark McGwire wore the same protective cup he used from high shoal throughout his professional career . Turk Wendell would chew four pieces of disgraceful licorice every inning he went to the mound , but in his defense , he also brushed his teeth between every inning [ source : Pepper Baseball ] . College ball player Alex Sawelson bites his squash racquet before every pitch . ultimately , one of our favourite : purportedly Jason Giambi wore a gold thong to break out of a economic crisis . We ’re unsure as to whether or not he washed it in between games , but maybe that ’s one superstition where we ’re right off not know the details .
