10 Baseball Superstitions That Players Swear By

From eating chicken before a game to never stepping on the Foul Line check out these 10 baseball superstitions that players swear by!

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The Curse of the Bambino

Ask any Boston Red Sox fan about the “Curse of the Bambino” and you’re sure to get an earful. The infamous curse began in 1920 when the Sox sold superstar Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees Since then, the Yankees have won 27 World Series titles while the Sox have suffered through 86 long seasons without a championship.

While some fans might write off the curse as a mere coincidence, many players take it very seriously. In fact, there are a number of superstitions that players Ross Baseball swear by in an effort to avoid the dreaded curse. Here are 10 of the most popular ones:

1. Don’t step on the foul lines – Stepping on the foul lines is considered bad luck and many players will go to great lengths to avoid doing it. Some players even have special shoes made with extra-wide soles to help them stay clear of the lines.

2. Don’t talk about no-hitters – It’s considered bad luck to talk about a no-hitter while it’s in progress, so most players will stay mum on the subject until after the game is over.

3. Don’t step on home plate – Stepping on home plate is another no-no for many players. It’s considered bad luck and some believe it will make them more susceptible to injury.

4. Keep your uniform clean – A dirty uniform is thought to bring bad luck, so many players go to great lengths to keep theirs clean throughout the game. Some even change their clothes between innings!

5. Don’t wear your Lucky Charms – Wearing lucky charms or talismans is a common practice among players, but many believe that it’s best not to wear them during games. They believe that doing so will only jinx their luck.

6. Spit in your glove – Spitting in your glove is thought to bring Good luck and some players do it before every pitch they catch. 7 . Don’t change your routine – Many players believe that changing their routine can jinx their team’s chances of winning, so theystick to their tried-and-true methods come game day 8 . Play pranks on rookies – Rookies are often subjected to all sorts of good-natured pranksterism from their teammates in an effort to bring them good luck. 9 . Eat chicken before games – Eating chicken before a game is thought to bring good luck and many players have made it a pre-game tradition . 10 . Wear your batting gloves inside out – This one might seem odd, but some hitters believe that wearing their batting gloves inside out can help them get hits .

The Billy Goat Curse

In 1945, Billy Sianis, owner of the Chicago Billy Goat Tavern, brought his pet goat to Game 4 of the World Series at Wrigley Field Legend has it that Sianis was asked to leave after the goat began to smell (goats are not known for being particularly clean creatures). Sianis supposedly placed a curse on the team, saying they would never win another World Series

The Cubs went on to lose that series, and they haven’t won a World Series since. In fact, they haven’t even made it to the finals since 1945. Many people believe that the Billy Goat Curse is real and that it’s the reason the Cubs have been so unlucky over the years.

The black cat curse

In 1969, the Chicago Cubs were in first place in their division with a comfortable lead. But then, something strange happened. A black cat ran onto the field during a game and walked right past the Cubs’ dugout. The players were so shocked that they lost the game — and the rest of the season. The black cat became known as the “Cubs curse” and many fans believe that it’s still curse today.

The Cubs’ curse

The Cubs’ curse is one of the most famous baseball superstitions. The curse is said to date back to 1945, when the Cubs were in the World Series One of the players, Billy Sianis, brought his pet billy goat to the game. The goat was eventually ejected from the ballpark, and Sianis put a curse on the team, saying they would never win a World Series again.

Since then, the Cubs have not won a World Series and many players and fans believe that the curse is real. There are a number of other baseball superstitions that players swear by, in hopes of breaking the curse. Here are 10 of them:

1. Wearing lucky clothing or accessories
2. Eating lucky foods
3. Carrying lucky charms
4. Doing lucky rituals
5. Sitting in the same seat for every game
6. Wearing special shoes
7. Wearing their uniform pants outside their socks
8. Taping up their bats
9. Chewing tobacco
10. Spitting on their gloves

The Cleveland Indians’ curse

The team was previously known as the Cleveland Naps and the Cleveland Broncos. In 1915, the team owner decided to change the team name to the Indians in honor of a Native American player. The change coincided with the opening of a new stadium, which was built on sacred land that had been stolen from the Mohawk tribe.

The team won the World Series in 1920 and 1948, but they have been notoriously unlucky since then. In 1954, they were one game away from winning the World Series but lost in dramatic fashion. Some say that this is when the curse began.

The curse is said to be caused by a statue of a Native American that used to stand outside the stadium. The statue was named Chief Wahoo and was seen as offensive by many Native Americans. In 2017, the team finally announced that they would be removing the statue from their stadium.

The hex of the Houston Astros

From the moment they took the field for their very first game, MLB teams have looked for any edge they can get to win. Some players turn to God, others to lucky charms and still others to mystical rituals and seemingly absurd superstitions. Here are 10 of the strangest baseball superstitions players have used over the years.

1. The hex of the Houston Astros One of the most famous baseball superstitions started in 1973 when then-Astros outfielder Cesar Geronimo made a game-saving catch against the Reds. As he came down with the ball, his glasses flew off his head and into left field After that, every time Houston won a game, Geronimo would make sure to step on his glasses on his way off the field. The Astros went on to win their first division title that year and Geronimo’s teammates started following suit. The team would go on to win four more division titles while Geronimo was with the team and many players credited the “hex” for their success.

2. Don’t step on the Foul Line This one is fairly common among players and has been around for generations. Stepping on the foul line while taking your position in the field is said to bring bad luck and many players go out of their way to make sure they don’t do it. In fact, some players are so superstitious about it that they won’t even let other players step on the foul line.

3. No hitting in batting practice This superstition is said to date back to Ty Cobb who believed that if you hit too well in BP, you would carry that success into games and get out of your rhythm. As a result, many hitters would take easy swings in BP or even miss altogether so as not to get too comfortable at the plate. While this superstition has largely been debunked by modern science, there are still some hitters who believe in it and refuse to swing hard during batting practice.

4. Don’t talk about a no-hitter- One of baseball’s most famous superstitions is also one of its most understandable. Players believe that if you talk about a no-hitter while it’s happening, you will jinx it and cause the pitcher to lose it. As a result, players, coaches and broadcasters will often go out of their way not to mention a no-hitter until it’s over (or close enough that there’s no chance of jinxing it).

5. Wearing somebody else’s shoes- This one is less about luck and more about comfort but many players believe that wearing another player’s shoes will help them feel more comfortable at the plate or in the field. It doesn’t seem like much but if you’re looking for any edge you can get, why not give it a try?

6. Eating chicken before a game- While there is no scientific evidence to support this claim, many players believe that eating chicken before a game will make them hit better. The theory is that chicken contains amino acids which help muscles recover from exercise so eating it before a game will give your muscles an extra boost when you need them most. This superstition has been around for years and even has its own holiday (National Chicken Day) but there is no evidence that it actually works.

7 .The “Mendoza Line”- Named after former Major League shortstop Mario Mendoza who had a reputation for being a poor hitter, this superstition states that if your batting average falls below .200 (the Mendoza Line), you are automatically cursed and will never hit above .200 again . While there is no evidence that this is actually true, many hitters take great care not to let their average dip below .200 for fear of being “Mendozaed” .
8 Spitting on your hands before pitching – Some pitchers believe that spitting on your hands before throwing a pitch makes the ball harder to grip which makes it harder for batters to hit . There is no scientific evidence supports this claim but some pitchers do it anyway because they believe it gives them an edge . Whether or not it actually works , we may never know but spit seems like small price pay if means getting an extra strikeout or two . 9 Wearing lucky socks/underwear – Many athletes (not Ust baseball players) have lucky socks or underwear that they wear during games or important competition s because they believe it brings them goodluck appeal t o weaker opponents 10 Crossing fingers when runners are in scoring position – If you’ve ever seen a player cross their fingers when runners are in scoring position , they’re probably doing i tfor luck But what exactly are they hopingfor ? Some people say i tmeans they’rehopingthe

The jinx of the New York Mets

In baseball, there are a ton of superstitions that players swear by in order to try and get a win. Some of them are well-known, like not stepping on the foul line when entering the field. Other superstitions are more specific to certain teams or players. The New York Mets have been considered by many to be cursed ever since they traded away popular player Gary Carter in 1989. After that, the team went through a years-long slump, only making it to the playoffs once between 1990 and 2006. Many fans blamed the Carter trade for Cursed.

The San Diego chicken’s curse

The San Diego Chicken is a long-time fixture at Padres games, and many players believe that the chicken is cursed. The chicken first appeared at a Padres game in 1974, and the team has not won a World Series since. In fact, the team has only made it to the World Series twice, in 1984 and 1998, both times losing to the Yankees. Some players believe that the chicken is cursed because it represents bad luck.

The Steve Bartman incident

In baseball, players and fans often take part in rituals and traditions that they believe will ensure a win or prevent bad luck. These superstitions can be as simple as step-by-step routines that must be followed before each pitch, or more outlandish behaviors such as never talking to Steve Bartman.

For those who don’t know, the Steve Bartman incident occurred during Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins. With the Cubs leading 3-2 in the 8th inning and Marlins’ batter Luis Castillo up to bat, Castillo hit a pop fly into the stands behind first base. Bartman, a Cubs fan seated in the Front Row reached out and interfered with Cubs outfielder Moises Alou’s attempt to catch the ball, resulting in an automatic out for Castillo. The Marlins would go on to score 8 runs in that inning, ultimately winning the game 8-3 and taking a 3-2 lead in the series.

The Cubs would go on to lose Game 7 of the series, making them 0-for-4 in their last 4 trips to the National League Championship Series Many fans blamed Bartman for jinxing the team and cursed him for causing their defeat. In reality, it was simply bad luck and a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for Bartman.

The White Sox curse

The White Sox curse was placed on the team in 1919 by owner Charles Comiskey. He was notorious for being a cheap owner, and he traded away many of the team’s best players in an effort to save money As a result, the team lost the World Series that year, and they haven’t won one since. The curse was supposedly broken in 2005 when the team won the World Series but some players still don’t believe it.

1. Don’t step on the foul line
2. Don’t put your hat on the bed
3. Never talk to a no-hitter in progress
4. Don’t change your shoes during a game
5. Don’t borrow another player’s bat
6. Never step on home plate
7. Don’t spit in the dugout
8. Never step on third base
9. Always wear your lucky shirt/hat/etc.