Superstitious?

For players and fans....

superstition is part of the game.

Watching our team before games and in the batter’s box, it is obvious that superstition is alive and well in baseball.

Reportedly, David Freese has a batman mask in his locker. We've all seen Skip Schumaker incessantly readjusting his batting gloves. Yadier Molina must kiss the gold catcher's mitt pendant on his necklace before each pitch. This past week, Skip wore the high socks for a couple games in hopes of changing his luck at the plate and Brendan Ryan has similarly given up his trademark sock style for the same reasons.

It is impossible to predict why or when it will happen, but during some Cardinal games, I can become a very superstitious baseball fan.

I love to be on twitter during the games - talking to other Cards fans. It is so much fun! But during Saturday’s game against the Reds, twitter was 'off limits'. Not because the internet was down or my computer was broken. No, it was because Kyle Lohse was having a great game and I didn’t want to jinx him.

If that last sentenced confused you, I’d venture to say you are not a superstitious fan.

Kyle, who has yet to get a win this season, was phenomenal on Saturday. He was efficient, averaging just 12 pitches per inning to keep the Reds scoreless through the first six innings. Not only did he pitch strong, but he also hit his way onto base in his first two at bats of the game. Quite the day for our struggling starting pitcher!

So as not to disturb the vibe that Lohse had going in the game, I knew I had to keep doing whatever I was doing (as all superstitious fans would agree!) Unfortunately I had started the game working out on the elliptical. Because of the ‘situation’ I exercised much longer than I had originally planned, but I finally had to admit there was no way I could keep going for the entire game!

I did get off the elliptical between the 4th and 5th innings, but decided to keep off twitter, just in case that was key to our Cardinal good luck. (Admittedly, it does sound rather silly to me now as I write this, but it made sense to my irrational, superstitious baseball self at the time.) Lohse continued to mow down the Reds' offense, giving up only one run in the 7th. (Lohse deserved the win that day.... but that is a different discussion.)

Angela and Christine (my partners in crime here on Cardinal Diamond Diaries) knew what I was up to. I had messaged them early in the game about my mission - to stay off twitter- so as not to jinx the good luck. They, of course, laughed at my foolishness, but I’d like to believe they were also nodding their heads sympathetically at my chosen role for the day…. ‘Superstitious Baseball Fan’.

Both of them later fessed up to their own baseball superstitions:

Christine wrote about one:

This started out as a playoff superstition in 2006 – one day I decided to wear the same earrings because I’d worn them the day before and the Cards won. That continued throughout the playoffs, and obviously through the World Series, so now I do that all the time starting on Opening Day. If they win on Opening Day, I’ll wear those same earrings (or bracelets, if I wear particular ones that day too) each day until they lose. Then I’ll switch to another pair. If they win that day, I’ll stick with those … on and on, switching around all my pairs of earrings.

After some consideration, Angela came up with her own example:

During the 20 inning game, I refused to get off the couch. I moved everything - computer, work, phone, drinks, everything to the coffee table so I wouldn't get off the couch, for fear I'd mess something up. I don't do that often (Friday night I watched from my couch, a chair and in bed!), but games like that I do. I'm worse in the playoffs - in college, wherever I sat at the beginning of the game was where I stayed. If I left to get something from my dorm room and came back to find someone had taken my seat, I'd force them to move (I sat ON a guy for half an inning once before he moved - but we won, so I did the right thing).

We'd like to think we aren't alone in our quirky superstitions. So, share your game day rituals in the comments box below!

Our reader poll question for the day:

1.How superstitious are you as a Cardinals fan?