Superstitions in Sports - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Janice · 10-09-2003, 12:05 PM

There are many. One of the Red Sox owners said he wore the same clothes for the entire Sox/Oakland series (he washed them).
My husband has a Red Sox baseball on our coffee table. It's on a glass coaster. He wants it in one place, and won't allow it to be picked up. I swear if I picked it up, he would divorce me. He's very superstitious when it comes to the Sox.
He also won't watch a playoff game unless he's wearing a Red Sox tee or sweatshirt.
His sister watches the playoff games from one spot on her sofa. She gets up, but feels it's her lucky spot and will only sit there.
As for me, I'm afraid to post in the Red Sox/Yankee thread since the series began....afraid to jinx.
Does anyone have any sports superstitions or know of any that the players have?

Janice · 10-09-2003, 12:19 PM

Superstitions help players deal with frequent failure

By Ryan Clark
Sentinel Staff Writer

March 30, 2003

Hey! Yeah, you -- Mr. Rookie Baseball Player over there. It's Opening Day, for crying out loud. Don't you know the rules?

Here are the basics, the simple do's and don'ts of the league, from a wise veteran. Ready? Listen up.

Do not step on the foul line -- ever. Do not talk to the pitcher when he's throwing a good game. Do not change your workout routine or meals when on a hitting streak.

Got it? Good. Here are a few more.

Do talk to your bat. Do sleep with your bat. Do spit in your hand before picking up said bat. But do not loan said bat to a teammate. Do step on a base before running off the field. Do turn your cap around if losing in the later innings of a game.

Make sense? If you're a baseball player, it should.

Since the game was invented, baseball players have developed their own unique superstitions to handle the ups and downs of the season. Maybe their habits help them cope with the pressure to succeed, help them overcome their intense fear of failure. Or maybe these beliefs give players added confidence on the field. Whatever the reasons, the legends of baseball have legendary routines.

Former Red Sox, Yankees and Devil Rays player Wade Boggs was called "Chicken Man," because he ate chicken before every game. He also started his wind sprints exactly 16 minutes before game time.

Dick Stuart, who spent the majority of his 10-year career with the Pirates and Red Sox, used to take chewing gum out of his mouth, then throw it across home plate -- right before every at-bat.

And it's just not players. Managers can get into the act, too.

Former Phillies, Expos, Twins and Angels manager Gene Mauch wouldn't clean his uniform if his team won. After winning streaks, he became known as the smelliest man in the league. Former Reds and Tigers manager Sparky Anderson wouldn't step on the foul line on his way to the mound, or on his way back.

"It's sick, just sick," said Frank Viola, a three-time all-star and former Cy Young Award winner. "People are really weird about this stuff."

Don't think Viola is any different. He had his own superstitions -- he just calls them his "routines."

Viola said that during his successful run with the Mets and Twins, as well as later in his career, he always would clean the mound before each inning, kicking up dirt exactly four times.

"But of course, if something bad should happen, I couldn't do it four times anymore," Viola said. "I'd have to kick up dirt three times, or five times, because four wasn't working."

Viola said baseball produces superstitious players because the game is cerebral, with so few chances to redeem oneself after a mistake.

"You have nothing to do but think," he said. "So you have your routine."

Richard Lustberg, a sports psychologist based in New York, said the reason for developing superstitions is simple: It's a "coping mechanism" to deal with the pressure to succeed.

"Athletes begin to believe, and want to believe, that their particular routine is enhancing their performance," Lustberg said. "In reality, it's probably just practice and confidence that's making them perform better."

Lustberg said superstitions are circular. If a player has success in sports, it's more than likely because of practice and skill. But if the player attributes his or her success to some type of different act, such as wearing a certain article of clothing or repeating some kind of routine (like what to eat or where to walk), the player will repeat the act.

The player now believes success will occur, causing confidence to rise. That increased confidence allows the player to perform at a higher level.

"All of a sudden, you're successful," Lustberg said. "It's not what batting glove you're wearing, or what you are or aren't eating; it's the belief that you will succeed. And different beliefs help different players."

Like Ted Williams, who once a year would go to Louisville, Ky., and spend hours searching for the perfect piece of wood that would be made into his bat. Or former Cubs and Mets reliever Turk Wendell, who would brush his teeth and chew licorice between every inning.

Or even like Tony Pena, now manager of the Kansas City Royals and once a teammate of Viola's in Boston.

Pena, only a .229 hitter in four seasons in Boston, wouldn't wash his undershirt if he were on a hitting streak.

"You got some bad stink in the clubhouse," Viola said. "It was just disgusting."

But Viola understands.

"Whatever works, whatever helps you out, that's fine," he said. "We're definitely a superstitious group."

Copyright © 2003, Orlando Sentinel

eringoblah · 10-09-2003, 12:22 PM

How is a moved baseball going to affect a team?

Janice · 10-09-2003, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by eringoblah
How is a moved baseball going to affect a team?

It won't affect the team. You are obviously unfamiliar with the concept of being superstitious.

eringoblah · 10-10-2003, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Janice
It won't affect the team. You are obviously unfamiliar with the concept of being superstitious.

Janice · 10-10-2003, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by eringoblah

I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. Being superstitious has nothing to do with reality. It's more what's going on in a player or a person's mind.

eringoblah · 10-10-2003, 05:11 PM

Well you did a little. I just meant that I understand being superstitious, but if my husband wouldnt let me move a baseball off of a spot on the table I would send him in for analysis and not think it was a normal superstition.

Janice · 10-10-2003, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by eringoblah
Well you did a little. I just meant that I understand being superstitious, but if my husband wouldnt let me move a baseball off of a spot on the table I would send him in for analysis and not think it was a normal superstition.

My husband does not need analysis, thank you very much. It's a normal superstition as the article I posted indicates.

Kay Scarpetta · 10-10-2003, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by eringoblah
Well you did a little. I just meant that I understand being superstitious, but if my husband wouldnt let me move a baseball off of a spot on the table I would send him in for analysis and not think it was a normal superstition.

Well... I hope you never have to encounter my family of die-hard Yankees fans. I, of course, am a Red Sox fan, because I am the only logical person in this family of mine... but anyway- everytime the Yankees play the Red Sox, my uncle puts his Yankees hat on and sticks a wad of chewing gum onto it. He said it's supposed to bring good luck to the players. But that's only if they're playing at Fenway. If they play in the Bronx, they unfortunately have a Yankees flag thay he hangs 26 minutes before the game starts... why 26 minutes? Because that's the amount of World Series the Stanks have won so far.

eringoblah · 10-10-2003, 08:01 PM

Quote:

My husband does not need analysis, thank you very much. It's a normal superstition as the article I posted indicates.

I was joking! I am sure your hubby is a great, normal guy. We all have our quirks.

TJL · 10-10-2003, 09:01 PM

When Chris Chambliss hit the homer that won the Yankees the pennant (in 1976 I think?) I was in the bathroom, and I missed it.

So, for the World Series that followed, my brother made leave the room and go to the bathroom whenever the Yanks need to come through in the clutch.

Thak God I eventually got out of that house.

flinstoned · 10-10-2003, 10:10 PM

Brian Damage · 10-11-2003, 11:26 AM

My superstition is to not watch or even listen to a Yankee game when they play. For some reason I think I jinx them when I watch.

Janice · 10-11-2003, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Damage
My superstition is to not watch or even listen to a Yankee game when they play. For some reason I think I jinx them when I watch.

All games or only playoff games? Are there time times when you want to watch with your friends? You must overhear the score during the game or is that okay?

Brian Damage · 10-12-2003, 11:42 AM

I refuse to watch PLAYOFF games or listen to them on the radio.

10-09-2003, 12:05 PM	#1
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Superstitions in Sports There are many. One of the Red Sox owners said he wore the same clothes for the entire Sox/Oakland series (he washed them). My husband has a Red Sox baseball on our coffee table. It's on a glass coaster. He wants it in one place, and won't allow it to be picked up. I swear if I picked it up, he would divorce me. He's very superstitious when it comes to the Sox. He also won't watch a playoff game unless he's wearing a Red Sox tee or sweatshirt. His sister watches the playoff games from one spot on her sofa. She gets up, but feels it's her lucky spot and will only sit there. As for me, I'm afraid to post in the Red Sox/Yankee thread since the series began....afraid to jinx. Does anyone have any sports superstitions or know of any that the players have?

10-09-2003, 12:19 PM	#2
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Article on topic Superstitions help players deal with frequent failure By Ryan Clark Sentinel Staff Writer March 30, 2003 Hey! Yeah, you -- Mr. Rookie Baseball Player over there. It's Opening Day, for crying out loud. Don't you know the rules? Here are the basics, the simple do's and don'ts of the league, from a wise veteran. Ready? Listen up. Do not step on the foul line -- ever. Do not talk to the pitcher when he's throwing a good game. Do not change your workout routine or meals when on a hitting streak. Got it? Good. Here are a few more. Do talk to your bat. Do sleep with your bat. Do spit in your hand before picking up said bat. But do not loan said bat to a teammate. Do step on a base before running off the field. Do turn your cap around if losing in the later innings of a game. Make sense? If you're a baseball player, it should. Since the game was invented, baseball players have developed their own unique superstitions to handle the ups and downs of the season. Maybe their habits help them cope with the pressure to succeed, help them overcome their intense fear of failure. Or maybe these beliefs give players added confidence on the field. Whatever the reasons, the legends of baseball have legendary routines. Former Red Sox, Yankees and Devil Rays player Wade Boggs was called "Chicken Man," because he ate chicken before every game. He also started his wind sprints exactly 16 minutes before game time. Dick Stuart, who spent the majority of his 10-year career with the Pirates and Red Sox, used to take chewing gum out of his mouth, then throw it across home plate -- right before every at-bat. And it's just not players. Managers can get into the act, too. Former Phillies, Expos, Twins and Angels manager Gene Mauch wouldn't clean his uniform if his team won. After winning streaks, he became known as the smelliest man in the league. Former Reds and Tigers manager Sparky Anderson wouldn't step on the foul line on his way to the mound, or on his way back. "It's sick, just sick," said Frank Viola, a three-time all-star and former Cy Young Award winner. "People are really weird about this stuff." Don't think Viola is any different. He had his own superstitions -- he just calls them his "routines." Viola said that during his successful run with the Mets and Twins, as well as later in his career, he always would clean the mound before each inning, kicking up dirt exactly four times. "But of course, if something bad should happen, I couldn't do it four times anymore," Viola said. "I'd have to kick up dirt three times, or five times, because four wasn't working." Viola said baseball produces superstitious players because the game is cerebral, with so few chances to redeem oneself after a mistake. "You have nothing to do but think," he said. "So you have your routine." Richard Lustberg, a sports psychologist based in New York, said the reason for developing superstitions is simple: It's a "coping mechanism" to deal with the pressure to succeed. "Athletes begin to believe, and want to believe, that their particular routine is enhancing their performance," Lustberg said. "In reality, it's probably just practice and confidence that's making them perform better." Lustberg said superstitions are circular. If a player has success in sports, it's more than likely because of practice and skill. But if the player attributes his or her success to some type of different act, such as wearing a certain article of clothing or repeating some kind of routine (like what to eat or where to walk), the player will repeat the act. The player now believes success will occur, causing confidence to rise. That increased confidence allows the player to perform at a higher level. "All of a sudden, you're successful," Lustberg said. "It's not what batting glove you're wearing, or what you are or aren't eating; it's the belief that you will succeed. And different beliefs help different players." Like Ted Williams, who once a year would go to Louisville, Ky., and spend hours searching for the perfect piece of wood that would be made into his bat. Or former Cubs and Mets reliever Turk Wendell, who would brush his teeth and chew licorice between every inning. Or even like Tony Pena, now manager of the Kansas City Royals and once a teammate of Viola's in Boston. Pena, only a .229 hitter in four seasons in Boston, wouldn't wash his undershirt if he were on a hitting streak. "You got some bad stink in the clubhouse," Viola said. "It was just disgusting." But Viola understands. "Whatever works, whatever helps you out, that's fine," he said. "We're definitely a superstitious group." Copyright © 2003, Orlando Sentinel

10-10-2003, 09:01 PM	#11
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	When Chris Chambliss hit the homer that won the Yankees the pennant (in 1976 I think?) I was in the bathroom, and I missed it. So, for the World Series that followed, my brother made leave the room and go to the bathroom whenever the Yanks need to come through in the clutch. Thak God I eventually got out of that house.
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

10-09-2003, 12:22 PM	#3
eringoblah Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 22, 2003 Location: emerald isle Posts: 99	How is a moved baseball going to affect a team?

10-10-2003, 05:11 PM	#7
eringoblah Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 22, 2003 Location: emerald isle Posts: 99	Well you did a little. I just meant that I understand being superstitious, but if my husband wouldnt let me move a baseball off of a spot on the table I would send him in for analysis and not think it was a normal superstition.

10-10-2003, 10:10 PM	#12
flinstoned Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 07, 2003 Posts: 624

10-11-2003, 11:26 AM	#13
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	My superstition is to not watch or even listen to a Yankee game when they play. For some reason I think I jinx them when I watch.

10-12-2003, 11:42 AM	#15
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	I refuse to watch PLAYOFF games or listen to them on the radio.