We’re all a little superstitious, I mean, come on who doesn’t have something special that brings us luck. And professional athletes are known for their rituals and superstitions. From the number on their jerseys, to the meal they eat the night before a game, baseball players have some very colorful and endearing superstitions. Did you know…
Denny Neagle, who pitches for the Yankees, always goes to a movie the day he is supposed to pitch.
Jason Bere listens to the same songs before a game on the days that he is pitching
Wade Boggs is known for the fact that the night before each game, he eats chicken. In fact his wife has over 40 different chicken recipes at her fingertips.
Larry Walker of the Colorado Rockies is well known for his devotion to the number 3. His uniform number is 33, he practice swings his bat 3 time. He was even married on November 3rd at 3:33 pm.
Some baseball players have a special restaurant that they eat in. Mike Saccocio of the Montreal Expos insists on eating at a Long John Silver’s the night before a game. And taping the plate before each swing is compared to knocking on wood. And nobody ever talks about the possibility of a no hitter before or during the game.
Other superstitions include:
Not stepping on the foul line
Using a lucky bat or glove
Sitting in the same place on the bench in the dugout for every game
And lastly—Not washing a lucky article of clothing for the entire season.
What superstitions does your favorite baseball player have?
Image Source: flickr.com Scott Tidlund
I think the one really big one I still cling to at times is not wanting to mention something good about to happen until it is in ink.
Though not a big sports fan, I’m no stranger to superstitions. I used to have a favorite tie I wore to every “pitch” but I gave up suits and ties in the 80s. I always eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day and never fail to remember what Christmas and Easter are really all about.
I would always yell “HALLOWEEN” after the 2nd pitch! I dont’ know why but it just didn’t feel right if I didn’t do it…from the time I was 10 until I was 14 when i stopped playing.
I love to read about the way people think! Interesting to learn about superstitions.
It’s not bad to be superstitious. Just without exaggerations!
This is hilarious! My husband and his 3 brothers all played college and semi-pro baseball. They have so many superstitions that have carried over into their daily lives. My husband will kill me for telling you this, but he still counts by fours constantly on this fingers. That has something to do with pitch counts. I hope to send him on a dream baseball vacation someday, and I will be following your blog to find out how and where!