Superstition: Talking About No-Hitters and Streaks

Baseball is a very superstitious sport. Many of those who play the game have their unique and sometimes bizarre rituals that they practice before, during, or after games. In a humorous scene in the movie Bull Durham the star pitcher "Nuke" wears women's lingerie during every outing. In baseball, the breaking of superstitions is regarded as a serious offense. Doing this generates bad luck and for some reason almost immediately results in a non-desired outcome.  The best example of breaking superstition is the single most forbidden subject matter to talk about: No Hitter’s. No hitters are a rare occurrence and highly valued in baseball. In the game, it is a “known fact” that talking about a hitter will result in a hit, ruining the pitcher’s perfect game. Due to the rarity of this event, any violation of this superstition is regarded as nearly sacrilegious to the sport. However, as no hitters are rare occurrence, this does not happen often. There are many other and much more frequent habits that players undertake as a form of superstition. Such traditions include tying one’s shoes before an at bat, or not washing a uniform while on a winning streak.