The Psychology of Sports-Happy Returns

Rituals are a way to handle stress

SUPERSTITIONS: Baseball players find comfort in sticking with routines.

12:24 AM PST on Sunday, March 26, 2006

By ALLISON ANN OTTO
The Press-Enterprise

Shawn Green thought the vocal croonings of "American Idol" reject William Hung in the clubhouse before and after games helped the Dodgers to their 22-10 start in 2004.

Former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda claims that a lucky shirt, a pair of shoes and a special parking spot at the ballpark contributed to his winning ways.

Derek Lowe always jumps over the foul line on his way on and off the diamond. Babe Ruth stepped on second base en route to the outfield, and Willie Mays always kicked the bag.

Baseball players and superstitions have gone hand in hand since Alexander Cartwright devised a set of rules for the game in 1845.

According to New York sports psychologist Dr. Richard Lustberg, superstitions are created as ways to cope with the pressure to succeed.

Sometimes those rituals can be extreme.

Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs insisted on eating chicken before each game and running wind sprints exactly 16 minutes before game time.

And then there's five-time All-Star Nomar Garciaparra, the Dodgers' new first baseman.

Before each game he signs autographs and says a silent prayer. Then, before each pitch, he ritualistically taps his hands on his bat, tightens his batting gloves and taps his toes rhythmically back and forth in the dirt.

"It's about trying to make sense out of the chaos of life," Lustberg said. "With the pressure he's under, he's attempting to bring stability to his life."

Rituals can create that sense of stability, Lustberg said. Sometimes they falsely become attached to success or failure.

"At the heart of it," Lustberg said, "is belief."

Garciaparra prefers to call his rituals a routine and said he doesn't feel compelled to do them.

"You play baseball every day," he said. "And it's a thing to do day in and day out. It's so monotonous that you just get into a routine. That's really what I do. A lot of times I'm not really paying attention to a lot of stuff I'm doing ..."It's just more of a feeling, something subconsciously I'm just doing ... They all say when you're in sports you want to have a routine. You want to have something that gets you ready and focused."

Players have been known to let superstitions affect their lives.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. once got rid of a Mercedes because every time he drove it to the ballpark he failed to get a hit that day.

Former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Larry Walker practiced the rule of threes: three batting practice swings, getting married at 3:33 p.m. and giving his ex-wife $3 million in a divorce settlement.

Some players prefer to keep their rituals secret, believing that secrecy aids success. Olmedo Saenz won't talk about his.

"If I tell you," Saenz said, "it's not going to work."

He admitted, however, that he has a glut of them, beginning with the moment he awakens. And if he doesn't do them?

"I don't feel comfortable that day," Saenz said.

Some Dodgers say they don't have superstitions. But the temptation is there.

"Sometimes if I play well I start to think, 'What did I do that day?' " infielder Oscar Robles said. "I think maybe I should do it again."

Others say superstitions are too time-consuming.

"I can't worry about being superstitious on top of trying to call a game or catch a ball," veteran catcher Pat Borders said.

Six-time All-Star catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. pointed to the core element of the game, failure.

"Superstitions are for people who have a lot of success," he said and laughed. "I fail all the time."

Reach Allison Ann Otto at aotto@PE.com