Baseball players love a good ritual. Former Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira used to wear mismatched socks, because he accidentally got one of C.C. Sabathia’s for a game and got a whopping six RBIs. Former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster used to eat at the same Italian restaurant before every start at Wrigley. Both Wade Boggs and Matt Garza had rituals involving eating fried chicken.
Whether it helps or it doesn’t, everyone likes to have the sense that they can exert a little control over the universe. When your favorite team is on a winning streak, or in a slump, you want to do whatever you can to help, even though you know you can’t take to the field.