The Mad Hungarian
Our Kansas City Royals meet the Mets at The K for the first games of the World Series…
While listening to a friend’s talk show yesterday the topic turned to baseball fans and player superstitions. And once again I was assured that I’m doing the right thing by remaining a sports agnostic. It’s just too big a waste of time for things that don’t really matter in life. With very little research, I found lists and lists of superstitions that are pretty amazing.
First, some player superstitions –
Not stepping on the foul line – ever.
Former SL right fielder Larry Walker was obsessed with the number 33. He wore it, set his alarm for 33 minutes past the hour each day, took practice swings in sets of three and was married on November 3rd at 3:33 PM.
Disgraced SF slugger Barry Bonds kissed the golden cross on his necklace upon reaching home plate after each home run, then pointed to the sky. The pointing to the sky was likely giving thanks and acknowledgement to his steroids dealer.
“Big Papi” David Ortiz, at each at-bat, would step out of the box, tuck the bat under his arm, spit in his hands and clap.
Retired pitching ace Roger Clemens would visit Monument Park before each game, where he would wipe his forehead and touch the Babe Ruth plaque.
Former Royals hurler Al Hrabosky, when with the Cardinals, would take a few steps toward second base behind the rubber, between each pitch, roll the ball between his hands, then pound the ball into his glove, turn around and stomp back toward the rubber. He said this helped him focus on pitching, and it drove hitters nuts.
And fans are even worse….
If your team hasn’t scored for four innings, change your seat.
If your team hasn’t scored for seven innings, sit on the ground.
If your team is winning during the seventh inning stretch, go get two pens and hold them for the seventh and eighth innings.
In the ninth, if winning, chew a piece of gum on the left side of your mouth for lefty hitters. Chew it on the right side for right handed hitters.
If your team has a baserunner, don’t go up or downstairs.
If playing a team on the west coast (or on east coast for teams in the west division), hold your breath for the first batter.
And when your team is at bat…
During a bunt, squint one eye.
Runner on third base, less than two outs—mute the TV.
In a tie game when tieing/winning/go-ahead run is up, put hat on backwards
Superstitions even make the movies…
In Major League, Cerrano, played by Dennis Haysbert, can’t hit breaking balls. So he builds a shrine dedicated to Jobu, offering the god cigars and rum to help take the fear out of his bats.
In The Natural, Robert Redford Welcome to the World Series of Superstitions’s character, Roy Hobbs, has a lucky bat he calls “Wonderboy,” made from a tree struck by lightning.
Some broadcasters even participate, thinking they risk jinxing no hitters if they reference the no-hitter during the game. So they find words to reference the “no-hitter” while not saying the word.
Baseball has some seriously weird crap and some superstitions that nobody of sound mind would believe in. The vast majority of it being made up long before we were alive and perpetuated by previous generations.
Crap. I misspelled Baseball.
Correction: Bible
Let’s Go Royals!!!
Thanks, as usual, for adding a smile to something that was supposed to bring a smile. Oh, sorry, I misspelled “smile.” Should read “piss off Harley.”
GOOD ARTICLE WILSON….you’re learning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This mad Hungarian approves of that mad Hungarian even though he played for the Royals.
One mad Hungarian, another mad Hungarian – you know those Hungarians; they all look the same to me!
Same Mad Hungarian. H plyed for both teams.
those are not superstitions. they are traditions!
baseaball is the only major league game where these kinds of things not only happen, but are welcomed, encouraged, even revered. has been for a long time. you won’t see an NFL QB on the sidelines wearing 10 caps on his head, why. because he’d look stupid of course. but in baseball, that would be like, okay, there’s an NFL QB wearing 10 bb caps! must be trying to start a rally!
and every baseball fan has their own little superstition. mine simply is bringing out the royals shot glass sometime during spring training, toasting to their success, and using it until they’re out of contention. DO NOT USE ANOTHER DURING THAT PERIOD.
took some doing, but hey, it’s now worked two years in a row.
That sounds like a well reasoned, rock solid tactic. Who am I do disagree with that?
that’s the trick about superstitions… you can’t.
i figure it’s better to give in to the little things lest they build up to where i become totally delusional.
Well, there is that…
George Carlin summed up the game the best of anyone post Red Barber.
Baseball is different from any other sport, very different. For instance, in most sports you score points or goals; in baseball you score runs. In most sports the ball, or object, is put in play by the offensive team; in baseball the defensive team puts the ball in play, and only the defense is allowed to touch the ball. In fact, in baseball if an offensive player touches the ball intentionally, he’s out; sometimes unintentionally, he’s out.
Also: in football,basketball, soccer, volleyball, and all sports played with a ball, you score with the ball and in baseball the ball prevents you from scoring.
In most sports the team is run by a coach; in baseball the team is run by a manager. And only in baseball does the manager or coach wear the same clothing the players do. If you’d ever seen John Madden in his Oakland Raiders uniform,you’d know the reason for this custom.
Now, I’ve mentioned football. Baseball & football are the two most popular spectator sports in this country. And as such, it seems they ought to be able to tell us something about ourselves and our values.
I enjoy comparing baseball and football:
Baseball is a nineteenth-century pastoral game.
Football is a twentieth-century technological struggle.
Baseball is played on a diamond, in a park.The baseball park!
Football is played on a gridiron, in a stadium, sometimes called Soldier Field or War Memorial Stadium.
Baseball begins in the spring, the season of new life.
Football begins in the fall, when everything’s dying.
In football you wear a helmet.
In baseball you wear a cap.
Football is concerned with downs – what down is it?
Baseball is concerned with ups – who’s up?
In football you receive a penalty.
In baseball you make an error.
In football the specialist comes in to kick.
In baseball the specialist comes in to relieve somebody.
Football has hitting, clipping, spearing, piling on, personal fouls, late hitting and unnecessary roughness.
Baseball has the sacrifice.
Football is played in any kind of weather: rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog…
In baseball, if it rains, we don’t go out to play.
Baseball has the seventh inning stretch.
Football has the two minute warning.
Baseball has no time limit: we don’t know when it’s gonna end – might have extra innings.
Football is rigidly timed, and it will end even if we’ve got to go to sudden death.
In baseball, during the game, in the stands, there’s kind of a picnic feeling; emotions may run high or low, but there’s not too much unpleasantness.
In football, during the game in the stands, you can be sure that at least twenty-seven times you’re capable of taking the life of a fellow human being.
And finally, the objectives of the two games are completely different:
In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! – I hope I’ll be safe at home!
That was an outstanding treatise with no reference to vintage journalists!
You and Henry are soul mates on sports.
Red Barber is one fine vintage journalist.
That was a fun read, Wilson.
I dug it.
Thanks, Lib, that’s the only reason I mess with this stuff!
Paul, how about your take on the GOP debates ?
Stomper, I watched last time. I didn’t have it in me this time. And, come to find out, I should have, after how badly CNBC jacked it up. I’m just so over the Republican circle jerk. I honestly think they could be given the winning candidate and hose it up before election night. Its just out of control on both sides of the aisle, but it would be hard to be a Republican these days an hold your head anywhere close to upright…