Superstitions

Superstition…What is it?

For those who don’t know, the definition of “superstition,” according to Webster’s dictionary, says: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation.

I hope that helps give you a better perspective on the word itself. But how does this play into the world of baseball?

Let’s ask UTPA assistant coach Tyler Wright:

“Baseball players have used superstitions as a way to boost their confidence before or during competition. Whether it’s jumping over the foul line to prevent bad luck, eating the same food before a game or putting on your uniform the same way, superstitions are rituals that reassure a positive outcome.”

I have seen many teammates do different things such as getting up at 7 a.m. and putting on their jersey first thing on game day. But why are superstitions used in baseball so often, you might ask.

A lot of the time people in baseball believe that doing certain things such as shaving your head, not walking on cracks, not cutting your hair or not changing up a daily routine can have an effect on the way you play. Maybe it could help you get out of a slump or keep you on the hot streak that you’re currently riding.

Teams will do just about anything to keep a streak alive or to break out of a slump. Rally caps, 2-2 counts antics and standing a certain way in the dugout are trends across the nation. I remember here at UTPA last year our whole team grew moustaches to bring us luck for the conference tournament. Three weeks’ time is all we had to grow out our cookie dusters. Needless to say, mine was not up to par, even after I tried “Just for Men!”  Some moustaches were better than others, and some were hardly visible, but the bottom line is everyone participated. This is because, even if you don’t believe in team superstitions, you must still pay your respects to others that do.

The one question everyone always asks however is, do they work? Well that is up to the individual. My personal belief is that yes, some superstitions are true. Superstitions such as putting things away before the game is over or stepping on the foul lines are both personal beliefs that I think can affect the game.

So whether you believe in superstitions or not, you must respect them. Who knows, maybe one day it could affect you after you choose to ignore the cardinal rules?

Once again I’ll leave you with another quote I found to be interesting.

“All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure.” – Mark Twain

Dylan

(photos by Dutch Cowgill)