Gmelch Baseball Magic Analysis

In the article “Baseball Magic” by George Gmelch, he discusses the routine rituals, taboos, and fetishes in which baseball pitchers and hitters engage in when they are about to play a game or during a game. Gmelch reveals the reasoning behind these activities using the approach by anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. These rituals help the players feel as though they have a sense of control even though the game is based on luck and chance. The way these players develop these rituals is when they win, they associate their win with the events leading up to their win so they repeat these events before every game. He talks about how the baseball players believe that these rituals produce some magic that helps them control their wins and losses

Because pitching and hitting is based on luck and chance, this is why these players engage in ritualistic activities so that they have less anxiety and pressure. There are many rituals that take place during a game but an an example of a ritual is when Gmelch says “Glenn Davis would chew the same gum every day during hitting streaks, saving it under his cap (2)”. Taboos are different than rituals. They are acts that are preventative of undesirable outcomes. Some examples of taboos in which Gmelch discusses are “Some pitchers avoid eating certain foods, others will not shave on the day of a game, refusing to shave again as long as they are winning (3)”. These players would hope that the things that they are avoiding doing would help them win the game. This is not only found in baseball but in many other sports as well such as hockey, football, etc. Gmelch also mentions that the players used fetishes, which are good luck charms that are believed to protect the one who possesses them. Gmelch shows us this when he says “soldiers developed magical practices, particularly the use of protective amulets and good luck charms (crosses, Bibles, rabbits’ feet, medals) (3)”. People believe that these items hold great