# Baseball superstition > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Baseball_superstition > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Baseball_superstition.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_superstition > Source revision: 1346752094 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Collection of superstitious beliefs regarding baseball}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2012}} {{Refimprove|date=October 2008}} thumb|Bobby Witt Jr. jumps over the line, 2023. '''Baseball''' is a sport with a long history of '''[superstition](/source/superstition)'''. From the [Curse of the Bambino](/source/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](/source/batting_(baseball)), [pitcher](/source/pitcher)s, and fielders alike — perform elaborate, repetitive routines prior to pitches and [at bat](/source/at_bat)s due to superstition.{{cite journal |last1=Gmelch |first1=George |title=Baseball Magic |journal=Human Nature |date=1978 |volume=1 |issue=8 |page=32-40}} 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 of the more common superstitions include purposely stepping on or avoiding stepping on the foul line when taking the field, and not talking about a [no-hitter](/source/no-hitter) or [perfect game](/source/Perfect_game_(baseball)) while it is in progress — a superstition that also holds for fans and announcers. Others include routines such as eating only chicken before a game like [Wade Boggs](/source/Wade_Boggs), pitcher [Justin Verlander](/source/Justin_Verlander) eating three crunchy taco supremes (no tomato), a cheesy gordita crunch and a [Mexican Pizza](/source/Mexican_Pizza) (no tomato) from [Taco Bell](/source/Taco_Bell), before every start,{{cite web | url = https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/justin-verlander-proves-not-liar-downs-taco-bell-171811206.html | title = Revised version of "Justin Verlander proves he's not a liar, downs famous Taco Bell order before opening day start"| last = Kaduk | first = Kevin |date=April 2012 | publisher= Yahoo! Sports }} and drawing in the dirt in the batter's box before an at bat. [Justin Morneau](/source/Justin_Morneau), the 2006 [American League Most Valuable Player](/source/Major_League_Baseball_Most_Valuable_Player_Award) winner, wears [number](/source/Uniform_number_(Major_League_Baseball)) 33 to honour his idol, ex-NHL goaltender [Patrick Roy](/source/Patrick_Roy).{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=olney_buster&id=2718457|title=After changing lifestyle, Morneau rose to prominence|first=Buster|last=Olney|date=January 3, 2007|work=ESPN The Magazine|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|access-date=October 15, 2012|authorlink=Buster Olney}} His ritual before every Twins' home game entails stopping by the same [Jimmy John's](/source/Jimmy_John's) Gourmet Subs — located on Grand Avenue in [St. Paul, Minnesota](/source/St._Paul%2C_Minnesota) — and ordering the same sandwich from the menu: Turkey Tom with no sprouts. Afterwards, he drinks a [Slurpee](/source/Slurpee) from a Slurpee machine in the Twins' clubhouse made of one-half [Mountain Dew](/source/Mountain_Dew), one-half red or orange flavor. In 2013, [Bryce Harper](/source/Bryce_Harper) said on ''[Jimmy Kimmel Live](/source/Jimmy_Kimmel_Live!)'' that he eats waffles and takes seven showers before games.{{Cite news|last=Boeck|first=Scott|title=Leggo my Eggo! Bryce Harper showers seven times a day |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/16/bryce-harper-appears-on-jimmy-kimmel-live-showers-eggos/1839249/ |access-date=2022-06-21 |newspaper=USA TODAY |language=en-US}} Certain players go as far as observing superstitions off the field. This includes early 20th-century second baseman [Amby McConnell](/source/Amby_McConnell); whenever he was in the middle of a batting [slump](/source/Slump_(sports)), he would scavenge the streets and pick up any pin he found, believing this was a sign he would break out of the slump.{{cite news|title=Amby McConnell's Hobby|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dAIdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4o4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6000,848381&dq=amby+mcconnell&hl=en|date=August 5, 1911|page=8|access-date=October 13, 2012|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press}} ==See also== * [Curse of the Bambino](/source/Curse_of_the_Bambino) * [Curse of the Billy Goat](/source/Curse_of_the_Billy_Goat) * [Curse of Billy Penn](/source/Curse_of_Billy_Penn) * [Curse of the Black Sox](/source/Curse_of_the_Black_Sox) * [Curse of Rocky Colavito](/source/Curse_of_Rocky_Colavito) * [Curse of the Colonel](/source/Curse_of_the_Colonel) * [Curse of Coogan's Bluff](/source/Curse_of_Coogan's_Bluff) * [Ex-Cubs Factor](/source/Ex-Cubs_Factor) * [Koufax Curse](/source/Koufax_Curse) * [Milwaukee Brewers Reverse World Series curse](/source/Milwaukee_Brewers_Reverse_World_Series_Curse) * [Sports-related curses](/source/Sports-related_curses) ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== {{Cite journal |last1=Schippers |first1=Michaéla C. |last2=Van Lange |first2=Paul A. M. |date=2006-09-15 |title=The Psychological Benefits of Superstitious Rituals in Top Sport: A Study Among Top Sportspersons1 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00116.x |journal=Journal of Applied Social Psychology |volume=36 |issue=10 |pages=2532–2553 |doi=10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00116.x |issn=0021-9029|hdl=1871/16521 |hdl-access=free }} {{cite journal |last1=Morris |first1=B. |last2=Thornton |first2=C. |last3=Neave |first3=N. |last4=Allen |first4=G. |year=2025 |title=Understanding the Use of Superstitious Rituals in Sports People |journal=Journal of Sports Sciences |volume=43 |issue=18 |pages=2046–2057 |doi=10.1080/02640414.2025.2532994 |pmid=40665537 }} ==External links== *[http://www.thejoyofsoxmovie.com/ ''The Joy of Sox Movie'', a documentary about Red Sox Nation, Red Sox Fans, Red Sox ballplayers, spirituality and superstition] {{Sports-related curses}} {{Superstitions}} Superstition Category:Superstitions --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Baseball superstition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_superstition) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_superstition?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.