Baseball Magic
Baseball Magic
George Gmelch
On each pitching day for the first three months of a winning season, Dennis Grossini, a pitcher on a Detroit Tiger farm team, arose from bed at exactly 10:00 a.m. At 1:00 p.m. he went to the nearest restaurant for two glasses of iced tea and a tuna sandwich. Although the afternoon was free, he changed into the sweatshirt and supporter he wore during his last winning game, and, one hour before the game, he chewed a wad of Beech-Nut chewing tobacco. After each pitch during the game he touched the letters on his uniform and straightened his cap after each ball. Before the start of each inning he replaced the pitcher 's resin bag next to the spot where it was the inning before. And after every inning in which he gave up a run, he washed his hands.
When asked which part of the ritual was most important, he said, "You can 't really tell what 's most important so it all becomes important. I 'd be afraid to change anything. As long as I 'm winning, I do everything the same."
Trobriand Islanders, according to anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski, felt the same way about their fishing magic. Among the Trobrianders, fishing took two forms: in the inner lagoon where fish were plentiful and there was little danger, and on the open sea where fishing was dangerous and yields varied widely. Malinowski found that magic was not used in lagoon fishing, where men could rely solely on their knowledge and skill. But when fishing on the open sea, Trobrianders used a great deal of magical ritual to ensure safety and increase their catch.
Baseball, America 's national pastime, is an arena in which players behave remarkably like Malinowski 's Trobriand fishermen. To professional ballplayers, baseball is more than just a game. It is an occupation. Since their livelihoods depend on how well they perform, many use magic to try to control the chance that is built into baseball. There are three essential activities of the gamepitching, hitting, and
George Gmelch
On each pitching day for the first three months of a winning season, Dennis Grossini, a pitcher on a Detroit Tiger farm team, arose from bed at exactly 10:00 a.m. At 1:00 p.m. he went to the nearest restaurant for two glasses of iced tea and a tuna sandwich. Although the afternoon was free, he changed into the sweatshirt and supporter he wore during his last winning game, and, one hour before the game, he chewed a wad of Beech-Nut chewing tobacco. After each pitch during the game he touched the letters on his uniform and straightened his cap after each ball. Before the start of each inning he replaced the pitcher 's resin bag next to the spot where it was the inning before. And after every inning in which he gave up a run, he washed his hands.
When asked which part of the ritual was most important, he said, "You can 't really tell what 's most important so it all becomes important. I 'd be afraid to change anything. As long as I 'm winning, I do everything the same."
Trobriand Islanders, according to anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski, felt the same way about their fishing magic. Among the Trobrianders, fishing took two forms: in the inner lagoon where fish were plentiful and there was little danger, and on the open sea where fishing was dangerous and yields varied widely. Malinowski found that magic was not used in lagoon fishing, where men could rely solely on their knowledge and skill. But when fishing on the open sea, Trobrianders used a great deal of magical ritual to ensure safety and increase their catch.
Baseball, America 's national pastime, is an arena in which players behave remarkably like Malinowski 's Trobriand fishermen. To professional ballplayers, baseball is more than just a game. It is an occupation. Since their livelihoods depend on how well they perform, many use magic to try to control the chance that is built into baseball. There are three essential activities of the gamepitching, hitting, and
Bibliography: Malinowski, B. Magic, Science and Religion and Other Essays (Glencoe, III., 1948). Mandel, Brett. Minor Players, Major Dreams. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. Skinner, B.F. Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis (D. Appleton-Century Co., 1938). Skinner, B.F. Science and Human Behavior (New York: Macmillan, 1953). Stouffer, Samuel. The American Soldier. New York: J. Wiley, 1965. Torrez, Danielle Gagnon. High Inside: Memoirs of a Baseball Wife. New York: G.P. Putnam 's Sons, 1983.