Superstition In George Gmelch's Baseball Magic

Many cultures ascribe to some kind of superstition, magic, or faith. Merriam-Webster defines superstition as “a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation” ("Superstition”). This definition makes superstition sound like it belongs in a lower developed country that lacks the ability to have scientific knowledge. However, magic and superstition are alive and well in developed countries, such as the United States. Sports are rife with superstitions. Many players use “ritual, taboos, and fetishes to manage the anxiety generated by unpredictable events that challenge human control” (Gmelch 266). Superstitions are entirely psychological; a way to create a reason for an event that has occurred. In his article “Baseball Magic,” George Gmelch examines the rituals, taboos, and fetishes of American baseball and how they compare to the magic of the Trobriand Islanders.

Rituals help many people to feel more in control of their lives. Both American baseball players and Malinowski’s Trobriand Islanders practice some sort or ritual. In each case, the ritual is used to bring comfort in the face of

uncertainty. Much of the “outcome of the game depends upon the proficiency of…teammates, the ineptitude of the opposition, and luck” (Gmelch 267). The standard pitcher throws a ball at about ninety-five miles per hour. The hitter has to trust that the pitcher will not hit him with the ball at that crippling speed. Leaving the bat, the ball hurtles at approximately one hundred and ten miles per hour (Sisson). As the ball travels toward the fielders, they have control over catching the ball. Colliding with anything in the field is unlikely. All of this cumulates to the pitchers and hitters being the most superstitious. Rituals give these players a tangible sense of concentration. These are typically done away from the eye of the public. Yet, they are just as eccentric as the other types of superstition. The most peculiar ritual I found in the article was performed by Julio Gotay. He “played with a cheese sandwich in his back pocket” (Gmelch 268). I wonder how this type of ritual was started. Yet, according to Gmelch, rituals have “no empirical connection between the means…and the desired end” (268). When a player performs exceptionally well, he or she tries to find a reason for the win. Like the pigeons with the pellets, the players are attempting to recreate the circumstances that created the winning game. However, baseball is rife with chance that is dependent upon on each player on the field, the weather, and a thousand other possible variables. Another ritual I found interesting was performed by the left fielder of the Diamondbacks, Luis Gonzalez. During the Sunday service in the Baseball Chapel, he would place his bats in the room in hopes that they would benefit. It is interesting that he felt the bats needed to be blessed by the service, but he himself did not. A ritual, by definition, is a correlation by the person which makes it hard for others to understand. Though bizarre, rituals help the players on a personal level.
Taboos follow many of the same guidelines of rituals, but with a key difference.

While a ritual is something that players do, taboos are things they do not do. “The word comes from a Polynesian term meaning prohibition” (Gmelch 270). They range from the Malinowski rule of not washing to universal taboos such as not stepping on chalk lines. George Homans discusses that taboos and rituals are both used to combat anxiety over things we cannot control. In "Anxiety and Ritual: The Theories of Malinowski and Kadcliffe – Brown,” his premise is that people turn to these types of things because they are primitive (Homans). The behavior exhibited by baseball players belays that thought, but his idea on anxiety is evident with these people. Just as with rituals, taboos are ultimately a form of social

control.
While rituals and taboos translate into actions and behaviors, “fetishes are…material objects believed to embody supernatural power that can aid or protect the owner” (Gmelch 271). Fetishes are tangible things for people to rely on. The object can be new or old, found or passed down, but it always has the same meaning to the holder. Even compared to some of the more unusual rituals and taboos, fetishes seem to be the most eccentric. While religious symbols and lucky numbers are common fetishes, things like sending a bag of dog hair to the field manager happens as well. Although numbers may be a common fixation, paying twenty-five thousand dollars is a little out there. Religious fetishes are probably the most common because of the rosary. Catholics see the rosary as “a devotion in honor of the Virgin Mary” which “consists of a set number of specific prayers” (Brom). Many players hold a rosary in hopes of a blessing for the game. Fetishes change over time, are sometimes searched for, and die out which makes them more fluid than rituals or taboos.
The biggest link to all of these things is uncertainty. People are in search of something to keep them sane in the midst of a crazy life. Rituals, taboos, and fetishes are created from a psychological need for control. The confidence that is found in the feeling of control is highly important. While baseball players get better performance, Trobriand Islanders need to feel secure while they fish in the open sea. Ultimately, these superstitions seem to help rather than hinder.