Superstition In George Gmelch's Baseball Magic

Many cultures ascribe to some kind of superstition, magic, or faith. Merriam-Webster defines superstition as “a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation” ("Superstition”). This definition makes superstition sound like it belongs in a lower developed country that lacks the ability to have scientific knowledge. However, magic and superstition are alive and well in developed countries, such as the United States. Sports are rife with superstitions. Many players use “ritual, taboos, and fetishes to manage the anxiety generated by unpredictable events that challenge human control” (Gmelch 266). Superstitions are entirely psychological; a way to create a reason for an event that has occurred. In his article “Baseball Magic,” George Gmelch examines the rituals, taboos, and fetishes of American baseball and how they compare to the magic of the Trobriand Islanders.

Rituals help many people to feel more in control of their lives. Both American baseball players and Malinowski’s Trobriand Islanders practice some sort or ritual. In each case, the ritual is used to bring comfort in the face of

While a ritual is something that players do, taboos are things they do not do. “The word comes from a Polynesian term meaning prohibition” (Gmelch 270). They range from the Malinowski rule of not washing to universal taboos such as not stepping on chalk lines. George Homans discusses that taboos and rituals are both used to combat anxiety over things we cannot control. In "Anxiety and Ritual: The Theories of Malinowski and Kadcliffe – Brown,” his premise is that people turn to these types of things because they are primitive (Homans). The behavior exhibited by baseball players belays that thought, but his idea on anxiety is evident with these people. Just as with rituals, taboos are ultimately a form of social