George Gmelch Baseball Magic Summary

Magic, in its core sense referring to rituals, taboos, and fetishes, is found in practically every aspect of society worldwide. George Gmelch spent significant time gathering data on the supernatural rituals on the Trobriand Islands of Melanesia through participant observation, later tying it to “Baseball Magic”. In his article, Gmelch successfully argues that much like Trobriand Islanders, baseball players also turn to supernatural forces to guide them to success, giving power to rituals in order to feel in control of the uncertain. Through strong factual data that supports his claims, Gmelch effectively demonstrates a holistic connection between magic and superstitions and the widespread rituals that vary among societies, allowing his audience to build an in depth understanding of the incorporated concepts.

Through the use of various factual evidence from several longitudinal studies, Gmelch brings forth the presence of superstition in the long history of America’s favorite baseball players. In addition to factual evidence about quirky habits that sufficed into rituals for professional players, Gmelch incorporates a psychological point of view. Supporting his claims through psychology’s explanations for the supernatural magic believed to bring luck to players, Gmelch ties Skinner’s classical conditioning approach to the concept. It becomes clear to the audience that through an evolutionary approach, as humans we tend to repeat actions that bring us success, allowing for a fair interpretation of the ties to science. Evidently, this can be observed in not only the habits that are believed to bring baseball players luck, but also the success that they bring to Trobriand Islanders when fishing in the open