Every ballplayer has a routine. Following a repetitive daily schedule for seven months, it's only natural for guys to figure out what works for them, and stick with it. It's a comfort thing- you want to make sure everything is prepared and taken care of off the field, in order for outside factors to be minimized and success to be achieved on the field. Whether it's a type of sandwich, a song, a prayer, or a particular way to get dressed- a player finds what works for them, and that becomes their daily routine.
But when does a routine turn into a superstition? And where do you draw the line between superstitious and obsessive-compulsive?
A routine offers consistency and comfort because of its familiarity- it's reliable, and it takes out all variables. Around the 7th inning of every game, I eat a protein bar in the dugout- it's become a routine of mine simply because I find myself needing energy around two hours into a game. It doesn't magically grant me any extra home runs, but it leaves me feeling nourished and prepared to finish the game strong.
Superstitions add the element of karma into a routine- these actions are thought to help your performance, but offer no real reason. Touching a sign on the way out to the field, performing a certain handshake with a teammate, kissing your bat- these are all unrelated to how prepared or ready a player is for a game; they are done with the hope that good karma and luck will follow.
My in-game actions blow superstitions out of the water, however. I've always had some obsessive compulsive habits, but on the baseball field, where so much attention is geared toward luck and karma, I drive myself crazy. I'm always doing something, and everything I do has a reason. While superstitions are done to promote good luck, my obsessive compulsive actions are done to fight off bad luck. Yes, I've got some issues.
