Major League Baseball announced that opening day in 2023 falls on March 30th, with 30 teams slated to play 15 games. Baseball players are athletic, clever, and—surprisingly—steeped in bizarre superstitions.
Why Bizarre Superstitions Were So Popular in the 19th Century
From the post‑Civil War boom to the professional era of the 1870s‑1905, players searched for any edge, often turning to odd rituals that today would raise eyebrows. Below are ten of the most outlandish practices recorded from that golden age.
10 Drinking Hot Turkey Gravy
In 1894 the Baltimore Orioles clinched the National League pennant by winning 24 of 25 games. Their lineup boasted six Hall of Famers, with every starter batting above .300 and five players driving in over 100 runs. Yet the team credited a far stranger habit for their luck: each player gulped a glass of hot turkey gravy before batting practice. The ritual had nothing to do with their on‑field dominance, but the Orioles also resorted to sneaky tactics—icing balls, spreading soap around the mound, and even skewing baselines to make bunts roll past the foul line.
9 The Evil Eye
William “Billy” Moffat Earle, a catcher who bounced among five clubs between 1889 and 1894, earned a reputation as much for his creepy demeanor as for his glove work. He claimed to be a hypnotist, and teammates whispered that his stare possessed an “evil eye.” In 1887 a Mississippi River boat crash left one of his companions dead; the survivor recalled Billy’s unsettling gaze as the tragedy unfolded. Publications even suggested he wielded magnetic powers, and the legend of his evil eye lingered long after his playing days ended.
8 Not Speaking to His Own Starting Pitcher
Cap Anson, a future Hall of Famer who spent 22 seasons with the Chicago White Stockings (later the Cubs), was notorious for his racist attitudes and alleged KKK ties. Beyond those controversies, Anson adhered to a peculiar pre‑game rule: he never spoke to his own starting pitcher. While most teammates chatted before a game, Anson kept his mouth shut whenever the pitcher was involved, a superstition whose origins remain a mystery.
7 Believing His Bats Had Individual Personalities
Louis Rogers “Pete” Browning, dubbed “The Louisville Slugger,” played outfield from 1882 to 1894, mainly with the Louisville Eclipse/Colonels. He was the first player to commission custom‑made bats, a practice still common today. Despite chronic deafness and frequent headaches, Browning took his bat obsession to another level: he gave each bat a name, spoke to it, and retired it after a brief spell, convinced each piece held a limited number of hits.
6 Putting Pebbles in His Back Pocket
Shortstop John Wesley “Jack” Glasscock, a dominant player from 1879 to 1895, earned the nickname “Pebbly Jack” because he collected tiny stones from the infield and tucked them into his back pocket. He believed the pebbles prevented bad hops, and indeed teammates who ignored the habit suffered more erratic grounders. Glasscock’s superstition may be the only one that offered a tangible performance boost.
5 Believing a Cross‑Eyed Woman Hexed a Game
John Joseph “Blackjack” Burdock, a second‑baseman who played over two decades, was famed for his fielding tricks and hidden‑ball maneuver. A June 1879 Chicago Tribune story recounts that Burdock spotted a cross‑eyed woman in a storefront window on his way to face the Cincinnati Reds. After his team lost, he blamed the loss on the woman’s hex, a superstition that lingered despite the article’s problematic language.
4 Never Proceeding from the Bench to Second Base
Bill “Bad Bill” Eagan, a rough‑mannered player known for suspensions and late‑night bottle‑throwing, adopted a quirky routing rule. He would never run directly from the bench to second base. Instead, he would detour via third base or loop around first, believing the indirect path would ward off bad luck.
3 Always Swinging at the First Ball
John W. “Bud” Fowler, one of the first African‑American players and a ten‑season veteran, developed a simple yet stubborn ritual in 1889 while with the Michigan State League. No matter how high or wild the pitch, he would swing at the first ball that crossed the plate, trusting that the initial offering held good fortune.
2 Using Children, Dogs, and Monkeys as Good Luck Charms
William “Buck” Ewing, a stellar catcher who hit over .300 ten times, surrounded himself with mascots. He recruited street‑wise boys like William Breslin, kept a ring‑tailed monkey, and even a toy barking dog as talismans for the New York Giants, believing each charm could turn the tide in his favor.
1 Bat‑Carrying Redheads Were Bad Luck
Shortstop William “Bill” G. Gleason, who played from 1882 to 1889 and famously shared an infield with his brother, harbored an aversion to red‑haired bat carriers. An 1884 interview in the Harrisburg Telegraph reported that Gleason turned ghostly white at the sight of a red‑haired boy lugging a bat bag, convinced the sight spelled the worst kind of bad luck.
These ten bizarre superstitions illustrate how 19th‑century ballplayers blended folklore, personal quirks, and sheer desperation in the quest for victory. While many of the rituals would raise a laugh today, they remind us that the love of the game often walks hand‑in‑hand with a dash of the irrational.