The Welcome back, everyone to one thousand one heroes, legends, histories, histories,

podcast. This is your host, John Haggardorn. It's great to be with you. And today we're

talking baseball, America's

sport, and part of America's history. But in any country you're in, and for any sport that you play,

this story has a special appeal. Most of us here in America love baseball, whether it's

played by families using a wiffle ball and trees for bases or in stadiums that appeal to thousands.

And the sport has its own quirks and superstitions.

How they came to be is usually a mystery.

For instance, since I was a kid, I knew that it was unlucky, while in attendance at a baseball game,

to make any mention that the pitcher was pitching a perfect game.

My dad passed this word of caution down to me just as his dad had passed it to him.

One little mention out loud in a crowd of 50,000,

and you had to believe that the entire stadium would suddenly be hushed,

and in the next few moments, the pitcher would deliver that three-two-count ball,

bottom of the ninth, last pitch, and be

tagged for a base hit. You don't want to be that kid. The guilt would be just too much to bear.

The Oxford Language Dictionary defines superstition as an excessively credulous belief in

supernatural causation, leading to certain consequences of an action or event. Pretty good

definition. And superstitions have been with us forever. Hang garlic on the front door,

and it'll keep the vampires away. Black cats mean bad luck. Never pick up a coin when it's tails up.

Knock on wood for good luck. And the list goes on. I'm sure you know

many. But no amount of old wives tales can even come close to the beliefs that professional

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