Field of Magic: Baseball's Superstitions, Curses and Taboos

by John Cairney

Overview

Superstition has been a part of baseball from the beginning. From good luck charms to human mascots to ritual statues of Babe Ruth to the curse of Colonel Sanders, there may be almost as many superstitions as players (or fans). Drawing on social science, religious studies and SABRmetrics, this book explores the rich history of supernatural belief in the game and documents a wide variety of rituals, fetishes, taboos and jinxes. Some of these have changed over time but coping with uncertainty on the field through magical thinking remains a constant.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476685465
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	02/03/2023
Pages:	215
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

John Cairney is a professor and the head of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Queensland in Brisbane Australia. Originally from Canada and a lifelong Toronto Blue Jays fan, he is the author of four other books and more than 300 published journal articles. He is also a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii
Preface 1
Introduction:
The Cerebral Nature of Baseball? 3
One. Rituals 19
Two. Fetishes 49
Three. Curses 83
Four. Taboos 119
Five. Has Science Killed
Superstition? 145
Epilogue 167
Chapter Notes 171
Bibliography 189
Index 193

Editorial Reviews

An excellent review of the subject and related literature”—George Gmelch, professor of anthropology, University of San Francisco and Union College

From the Publisher