Favorite sport customs/unwritten rules

perkdog

In refferance to the King Felix thread, mentioning that no teamate will go near you let alone talk to you when you got a no-hit bid going, I thought it would be cool to list some other traditions or unwritten laws of baseball here incase someone never knew of one.

My favorite is when a new teamate or rookie hits his first HR after he returns to the dugout all his teamates ignore him for a few, lol

Anyone got any favorites?

Volver

Don't hit and run with an 0-2 count.
Never make the first or third out at third.
Never steal when you're two or more runs down.
Don't steal when you're well ahead.

stown

Rookie hazings

TheVon

From Bull Durham: not having sex during a win streak.

Morgoth

in a brawl run in from the bullpen but only after all punches have been thrown

BigKidAtHeart

(from wikipedia)

Famous or common superstitions

Not stepping on the foul line when taking the field.

Not talking about a no-hitter or perfect game in progress

"Statting" a player by mentioning his excellent statistics in this situation is seen to jinx that player.

A lucky bat or glove.

Equipment related (most famous being Craig Biggio who does not wash his batting helmet for the entire season)

Not talking about the outcome of a 7 game series before it is over.

Not shaving after the first postseason win

Chewing only one wad of gum per game

Tapping one's bat onto the home plate before an at-bat

Drawing in the batter's box before each at-bat



(from other sites)
Here are some common superstitions in the world of sports.

Baseball
Spitting into your hand before picking up the bat is said to bring good luck.
A wad of gum stuck on a player's hat brings good luck.
It is bad luck if a dog walks across the diamond before the first pitch.
Some players believe it is good luck to step on one of the bases before running off the field at the end of an inning.
It is bad luck to touch the baselines while running off and onto the field between innings.
Lending a bat to a fellow player is a serious jinx.
Some players actually sleep with their bat to break out of a hitting slump or stay in a groove.
If a pitcher is throwing a perfect game or a no-hitter, never speak of it while it's going on.


Basketball
The last person to shoot a basket during the warm-up will have a good game.
Wipe the soles of your sneakers for good luck.
Bounce the ball before taking a foul shot for good luck.


Bowling
To continue a winning streak, wear the same clothes.
The number 300, a perfect score, on your license plate will increase your score.
Carry charms on your bowling bag, in your pockets, or around your neck for good luck.


Fishing
Fish may not bite if a barefoot woman passes you on the way to the dock.
Spit on your bait before casting your rod to make fish bite.
Throw back your first catch for good luck.
It is bad luck to change rods while fishing.
Don't tell anyone how many fish you've caught until you're done or you won't catch another.


Football
Double numbers on a player's uniform brings good luck.
It's bad luck for a professional football player to take a new number when he is traded to another team.
A mascot is an important good luck symbol.


Golf
Start only with odd-numbered clubs.
Balls with a number higher than 4 are bad luck.
Carry coins in your pockets for good luck.


Ice Hockey
It is bad luck for hockey sticks to lie crossed.
It is bad luck to say “shutout” in the locker room before a game.
Players believe they'll win the game if they tap the goalie on his shin pads before a game.
Many players must put their pads and skates on in exactly the same order every day.


Rodeo
Always put the right foot in the stirrup first.
Avoid wearing the color yellow.
Always shave before a competition (for men only!)


Tennis
It's bad luck to hold more than two balls at a time when serving.
Avoid wearing the color yellow.
Walk around the outside of the court when switching sides for good luck.
Avoid stepping on the court lines.

TheVon

I believe that it's an unwritten law that you shouldn't bunt or steal when your team is blowing out the other team.

You shouldn't bunt to try to break up a no-hitter.

If a pitcher hits your star player, your pitcher needs to hit one of their guys.

If you show up a pitcher when you hit a homer, you should expect to get knocked down the next time you come to the plate, (unless you are named Manny Ramirez or Barry Bonds).

I know there are others, but I can't think of them right now. It seems like there'd be some unwritten laws regarding breaking up double plays . . . like if you come into second too hard once, the next time the SS will throw the ball right at your noggin.

perkdog

Good stuff guys! Thanks for listing that info BKAH

megatron

Urinating on one's hands prior to a game to obtain better bat grip.

baseballfan

pitchers always have to receive the ball from the 3rd baseman before starting inning and when ball is thrown around after an out
i knew a couple of guys with this one

MantleMarisFordBerra

I know you didn't come up w/ these, but some I've never heard of and don't make sense.

Don't hit and run with an 0-2 count. Why not?
Never make the first or third out at third. Mmmm....I guess, but ya gotta make the first out somewhere right?
Never steal when you're two or more runs down. Don't agree w/ this at all...if your team's style is to generate runs by playing small ball, so be it.
Don't steal when you're well ahead I can agree w this, as long as the score is so wide the outsome is not in doubt.

Estil

Wrigley "THROW IT BACK! THROW IT BACK!" Field. Can you imagine what would happen if Barry hit #755 or #756 at Wrigley? I don't care what those Bleacher Bums do to me, I'd keep the ball and sell it. Not that I'd ever get that chance in a million years but still...

As for the guy who mentioned not jinxing no-hitters/perfect games, I remember several years back when ESPNEWS was mentioning David Wells taking a second attempt at a perfecto/no-no a year after he pitched his perfect game, well, in the seventh inning, ESPNEWS was all like, "Oh wait, no-hitter bid got broken". Well I wonder why, motor-mouth?

baseballfan

i coach the local high school baseball team and noticed this one last week

the catcher gets nicked by ball or bat and the umpire cleans off the plate, even if he's just done it to give the catcher a minute to recover and catcher goes out to talk to the pitcher if the ump gets bit. seems like an unwritten rule between the 2 guys with all of the equipment.

saw it in a game and thought of this thread

Stingray

Hockey players shaking hands after playing a playoff series!!

TheVon

I hate to jinx anything, but right now there's a game in Florida where one of the teams has failed to do something through 6 innings . . . we'll see if the broadcasters can mention it enough to screw it up.

TheVon

Amazing. The FSN Florida broadcasters start the 7th inning off by saying that John Maine is trying to do something that no other Met pitcher has ever done. Then they go through and actually read the list of Mets pitchers that have thrown one hitters. Guess what the first batter of the inning does? Yep. He singled. @#!^ broadcasters.

perkdog

<< <i>Amazing. The FSN Florida broadcasters start the 7th inning off by saying that John Maine is trying to do something that no other Met pitcher has ever done. Then they go through and actually read the list of Mets pitchers that have thrown one hitters. Guess what the first batter of the inning does? Yep. He singled. @#!^ broadcasters. >>




THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE THE BIGGEST JINX !!!!!!

PSASAP

I've heard that the "don't talk about a no-hitter in progress" only applied to the team whose pitcher was throwing it.

Publius

Rick Reiley in SI a little over a year ago dedicated his entire back page to sports jinxes. There were so many good ones

I copied it and put it in everyones paycheck at work. I wish I would have kept one

Great thread, great responses

Bosox1976

Mark Grace used to know that much gambling was going on at Wrigley on "moundballs" - he loved to mess with it when he recorded the last putout of an inning. Sometimes placing the ball gingerly on the mound, sometimes dropping it tantalizingly close, sometime tossing it into the stands. He'd often look around before doing any of these to listen for moundballers.

Volver

<< <i>I know you didn't come up w/ these, but some I've never heard of and don't make sense.

Don't hit and run with an 0-2 count. Why not?
Never make the first or third out at third. Mmmm....I guess, but ya gotta make the first out somewhere right?
Never steal when you're two or more runs down. Don't agree w/ this at all...if your team's style is to generate runs by playing small ball, so be it.
Don't steal when you're well ahead I can agree w this, as long as the score is so wide the outsome is not in doubt. >>



You do not hit and run on an 0 - 2 count b/c any good pitcher will be throwing you garbage on the next
pitch

The never make the 1st or 3rd out at 3rd basically could be an inning killer.

What team in the last 30 years has played small ball? When you are down you do not take runners off the basepaths on your own accord.

PSASAP

Mark Grace made the term "slump buster" famous. :-)

TheVon

This topic came up yesterday (courtesy of A-Rod) and I thought of this thread again.

To add to the list of unwritten laws: opposing teams shouldn't call for the ball on pop flies.

RipublicaninMass

<< <i>This topic came up yesterday (courtesy of A-Rod) and I thought of this thread again.

To add to the list of unwritten laws: opposing teams shouldn't call for the ball on pop flies. >>



I thought that it was interferance