Who Else Wants to Know Why Baseball Players Are So Superstitious? (Jerry Costa)

Baseball is possibly one of the oldest sports in the US, and it's steeped in history. In fact the professional game can be traced back to the 1860's, and some of the grounds around today are just as old. No building whatever type it is cannot be as old as this and not have a certain "air of nostalgia" about it.

Of course, there are people who will argue the sport has changed. Recently there have been events that shook the world of baseball, and also upset fans. For instance The New York Yankees changed stadiums back in 2009. OK, it was only across the street, but many fans believed this would affect the way their beloved team would play, and how well they would do in the league.

This air of superstition doesn't just sit with the fans, professional baseball players are also well known for their little "foibles" when it comes to superstitions and perhaps that's what makes them so fascinating? I watch baseball regularly and I often find that I'm more interested in what's going on in the dugout, or what the players do just before they step up to the plate.

Commentators are often found talking about which player has come up with the latest superstition to help them achieve their goals in the game. It's not just individual players that follow in the foot-steps of superstition, teams and even clubs have had their rituals over the years.
One of the oldest superstitions around is the fact that players will never step on the chalk that makes up the foul line. No-one knows when this started or why, but there you have it, players simply will not step on the line.

Another odd one is shared with both players and fans, again no-one knows where this came from but if a home team is losing and the game is in its last innings, you can bet the whole team and the fans will be wearing their baseball hats in some weird and wonderful way. This is supposed to bring good luck to the team. The list is endless and players who are going through a "lucky streak" will often wear the same hats, use the same gloves and even wear the same shirts for each game, no matter how battered they are.

There have even been players who save the piece of gum they were chewing when they hit a home run. They'll bring out the same piece each time they step up to the plate and give it a good old chew. Not the most hygienic thing in the world to do, but if they think it works, that's fine by me.

The fact is that nobody really knows why baseball players are so superstitious. I've done tons of research on the internet to try and find out without any luck. Maybe they're keeping it a secret because it's bad luck for other people to know? Just a thought!
There is one thing that certainly won't spark any feelings of good luck, and this is something that happens regularly, especially to pitchers. Because they're throwing balls all the time, their elbows and shoulders become very sore. In fact it's not uncommon to see a pitcher with an ice-pack at some point in a game. This is why many of them have to undergo shoulder surgery. However, unlike the "old days" technology is such that many pitchers return to the game once they've recovered.

Jerry Costa has been a sports coach for over ten years who enjoys blogging regarding a variety of sports topics like having shoulder surgery and knee surgery after the play.