how much spit do baseball players spit during the course of a year

by Verona Ledner I 3 min read

In a highly unscientific viewing survey by this fan, players, coaches and managers spit an average of once every 30 seconds. Clearly this disgusting custom goes back to the days of chewing tobacco, when the best mouths of a generation were destroyed by chew and pouches.

Full Answer

Why do baseball players spit so much in every game?

Feb 20, 2020 · A tradition of baseball players spitting. Using chewing tobacco was a common practice as far back as the 1800s — both on and off the field. Players used the chew to stimulate their saliva on the dusty field, then when they spit it out they’d use the spit to moisten their gloves.

What do baseball players eat when they don’t spit?

May 23, 2011 · The first theory claims that baseball players follow the tradition of spitting so much in every game because during the early days of baseball, its players chew tobacco before the actual game. Since players cannot swallow the tobacco juice, they spit it out instead. The second theory is explained in the context of boredom and nervousness.

Will new MLB rules mean players Can't Spit?

Basketball players, of course, don’t spit: Maybe they run too fast. Maybe it’s the wooden floors. Football players spit, but not so much: Maybe they aren’t caught so often in sideline closeups.

Why do baseball players spit out their chewing tobacco?

The author goes on to write that maybe spitting is a way for players to show contempt for some of the rules of the game. Theory Four: Baseball players spit because that’s what baseball players do. One blogger wonders if perhaps the spitting is something that's passed down from one generation of players to the next.

It's a holdover from the chewing tobacco days

Baseball, in general, suffers from a bit of oral fixation. Maybe it's the long innings or the pressure of the game, but through the years, it seems like players have always had something in their mouths.

I t's the best way to experience sunflower seeds and chewing gum

Fernando Rodney of the Chicago Cubs pours sunflower seeds onto Kris Bryant in 2015.

Spit is just part of the game

Putting aside snacks and compulsive chewing and other odd little behaviors that incubate during the long, hot hours in the dugout, spit has historically played a part in how players, well, play.

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