New York Yankees Have the Most Superstitious Fans in Baseball

Different members of the Yankees had their own rituals, routines, and superstitions over the years.

Orlando El Duque Hernandez always avoided stepping on the foul lines when he pitched for the Yankees in the late 1990s. That s a superstition that many players share, but El Duque was extremely vigilant about not stepping on the chalk on along the first or third base line.

During home games at Yankee Stadium after he finished his warm-up in the bullpen, pitcher Roger Clemens would always rub sweat from his forehead on Babe Ruth s plaque in Monument Park. Clemens considered the sweat rub his good luck charm.

When five-time batting champion Wade Boggs joined the Yankees, he continued his pregame ritual with a special meal, and it didn t matter if it was a day game or a night game.

In 1983, we ate chicken every day and I wound up winning a batting title in 83, explained Boggs.

Slugger Jason Giambi once wore a gold thong to snap a hitting slump in 1996. He shared his slump-busting technique with two teammates: and Johnny Damon.

I was 0 for 32 and I hit a homer on the first pitch, said Jeter. That s the only time I ve worn them.

Jeter also liked to rub the head of bench coach Don Zimmer for good luck. Before the Yankees would take the field, Zimmer would remove his cap and Jeter rubbed his head.

Here is a quick disclaimer: I grew up in the Bronx and consider myself a die-hard Yankees fan. I tend to avoid superstitions because once you give in to one, then you become enslaved to it. However, when I left New York City, I developed some rituals in October to make me feel a little closer to home.

After I moved to Los Angeles, my routine during the playoffs involved New York-based foods. I ordered a pizza from Mulberry Street, owned by a NYC transplant, to put me in a New York mood.

If the Yankees win a playoff game, I will tend to repeat the same outfit until they lose. If the Yankees lose a playoff game, I will often retire the ensemble that I wore while watching the game. Some of my favorite hats were retired in this fashion.

The last time I banished an item occurred in the 2019 ALCS against the Houston Astros. Relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman gave up a walk-off home run to from the Houston Astros. The Yankees were eliminated from the postseason in a brutal loss.

I had been wearing a branded hooded jersey that members of the Yankees wore during batting practice that season. I have not worn the hoodie since that heartbreaking night in 2019. It s now buried on the bottom of a drawer because seeing the hoodie would conjure up an awful memory.

Fans have their own silly superstitions, like wearing a favorite hat or jersey. Other superstitions involve food, drinks, seating assignments, and muting announcers. I asked my friends and family to share any of their unusual superstitions while rooting for the Bronx Bombers.

During the 1996 World Series, I was in law school in Miami and there were about six of us hardcore Yankee fans, explained long-time fan Jerry Engel, an attorney based in Miami. We met up each night, same house, same seats, drank same drinks.

In college, we used to drink rally beers when the Yanks were down, and we were waiting for starting pitching to get removed, said Derek McGuire, an insurance underwriter and devout fan from the Bronx.

We used specific and lucky glasses for beers during the playoffs, said Will Lambert, a Yankees fan and environmental engineer from Denver. “We also toasted every Yankee home run.”

Anytime the Yanks are ahead later in the game, and the announcers are about to say anything that assumes that they ll win, I will mute the broadcast, admitted Jay Sheer, a musician from Manhattan and long-time fan. Don t like counting chickens before they hatch.

Despite all the superstitions, the Yankees have not won an AL pennant since 2009, which is also the last time they won a World Series.

The are +2200 odds to win the 2023 World Series, and +1300 odds to win the AL pennant in October. Fans need to provide the Yankees with a spiritual boost by wearing their lucky hats and jerseys, because the Yankees are -170 odds to miss the playoffs this year, according to a prop bet from DraftKings.