Baseball superstition

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

Baseball is a sport with a long history of superstition. From the very famous Curse of the Bambino to some players' refusal to wash their clothes or bodies after a win, superstition is present in all parts of baseball. Many baseball players—batters, pitchers, and fielders alike— excuse excessive, repetitive routines prior to pitches and at bats to superstition. The desire to keep a number they have been successful with is strong in baseball. In fact anything that happens prior to something good or bad in baseball, can give birth to a new superstition. Some players rely on a level of meta-superstition: by believing in superstitions they can focus their mind to perform better. Many players and fans also believe that superstitions propagate their own fulfillment by influencing players and fans.

For further reading, see George Gmelch's analysis of the role of superstition in baseball.1


[edit] Famous or common superstitions

  • Not stepping on the foul line when taking the field.
  • Not talking about a no-hitter or perfect game in progress
  • "Statting" a player by mentioning his excellent statistics in this situation is seen to jinx that player.
  • A lucky bat or glove.
  • Equipment related (most famous being Craig Biggio who does not wash his batting helmet for the entire season)
  • Not talking about the outcome of a 7 game series before it is over.
  • Not shaving after the first postseason win
  • Chewing only one wad of gum per game
  • Tapping one's bat onto the home plate before an at-bat
  • Drawing in the batter's box before each at-bat


1992 Superstition and Ritual in American Baseball. Elysian Fields Quarterly: The Baseball Review 11(3):25-36.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../b/a/s/Baseball_superstition.html"