Normally, baseball and mayonnaise would never be placed in the same sentence. At St. George’s, it is imperative that the two are intertwined in an effort to improve the team’s performance during games. As fans line up to see their Gryphon baseball players, they may take notice of some unique rituals taking place on the field and in the dugout, whether that be simple head nods or a complete mayonnaise sacrifice.

“I think that baseball players have so many superstitions because the game is so difficult to play,” senior Andrew Hyde said. “We try to stick to a routine once we find success.”

These superstitions differ from player to player, but the Gryphons also make sure to prepare as a team. The two rituals that are carried out by the entire team before each game are the “mayo sacrifice” and “deuces.”

According to senior and Maryville College baseball signee Curt Bennett, the team circles together and douses the baseball bats in cayenne pepper in order to protect them from slumps, a period of time when a player or team is not playing well. A dollop of mayo is then sacrificed to the baseball gods by rubbing it into the ground after the team prays to these said gods.

“Deuces,” another baseball ritual, occurs when the count is two outs, two strikes and two balls. The players rub the right side of their hat bills and perform the designated action. These actions differ depending on the circumstances. For instance, if “deuces to pledge” is called, the players take their hats off and put them over their hearts.

Despite these team rituals, there are also certain steps that are taken individually while preparing.

“I lace my left shoe before my right, never touch the foul line and touch the 365 sign in center field before every practice and game,” Bennett said.

Senior Jay Luckett said, “I walk around the batter’s box every single time.”

These individual superstitions are not solely present in the routines of upperclassmen.

“When I run into the dugout, I step on first base every time,” sophomore Will Ryan said.

Whether the superstition includes the whole team or differs from individual to individual, they provide a sense of tradition to the team and school as a whole.