Unusual superstition keeps Bob Jones pitcher in the groove
MADISON – Baseball players of all ages and levels of play have been known to be the most superstitious athletes who take pride in competing and pushing their will and talents to the limit in attempts to achieve success for their organization, team and their own self-satisfaction. The athletes in baseball will do whatever it takes in remain in a hot streak. Some of the most common superstitions by baseball players include never stepping on the foul lines, wearing the same clothing, have a certain ritual when batting or even saying a prayer prior to stepping onto the field.
Two of the all-time greats in baseball had their rituals in place day-in and day-out. Baseball Hall of Fame member Stan Musial, who some think is the best hitter of all-time, ate the same breakfast on game day, which consisted of an egg, pancakes, followed by a second egg. Mark McGuire, who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, after playing for one season in Huntsville for the former Huntsville Stars team, and who finished with a career homeruns of 583 placing him 11th on the all-time list, wore the same protective cup that he did in high school.
Bob Jones rising senior pitcher Graham Segraves, who is expected to be the No. 1 thrower for the Patriots next spring, began playing baseball at age four by playing at Palmer Park through the leagues of the Madison Recreation Dept. He turned to travel baseball teams at age nine and currently plays for the VBA Nationals 17-U team. This week, he is participating in the annual AHSAA All-Star Week baseball game in Montgomery as a member of the North team which clashes with similar elite players from the South squad.
Segraves hopes to earn some type of college scholarship to play baseball at the next level and has teams in Div. I and JUCO showing some interest. To add to his athletic talents, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound right handed thrower has a marvelous 4.19 grade point average with both areas of talent should be what he will need to play in college.
While he preps for this upcoming season school year at Bob Jones, he possesses a superstition while playing baseball that certainly could fall into the realm of unusual. The 17-year old explained, “I drink a Milo’s sweet tea prior to every game and in the dugout I sip on the container of Milo’s tea throughout the game. Our pitching coach always reminds me to make sure I have me a bottle of the tea.”
As for how his superstition first came to be, Segraves said, “In my freshman year at Bob Jones in my first outing as a member of the Patriots, I did great on the mound and at the plate. As usual, I looked back to see what could have triggered my success, and, like most baseball players, chose what I did prior to the game, which I needed to continue to do so every game. That source of good play, in my mind, came from drinking a Milo’s sweet tea.”
It’s hard to argue with success.
