Baseball is a funny game in the sense that it may be perhaps the most superstitious sport of any out there.
There are too many out there to rattle off, but just to name a few — never touch the foul line, always jump over it. Also be sure you use the same bat that you used when you had a big hit. Maybe its wear eye-black every day during a hitting streak.
Then, it goes to the zany, that includes wearing the same piece of ‘lucky’ clothing day after day or if you follow baseball closely, there is the special gold piece of attire Jason Giambi claimed is lucky for him to wear.
You can add another list of superstition — Pez dispensers.
The McDonald County Post 392 Junior American Legion baseball team added the candy-dispensing collectibles to the list of good luck charms in baseball.
Heading into Tuesday’s district playoff game against Carthage, Post 392 was seeded 9th out of 10 teams — needless to say it was a rocky season.
However, coach Robert Cornell looked to help the team start a new streak of karma and it worked thanks to the 14 different Pez dispensers.
McDonald County player Kolby Henson brought a “Woody” Pez dispenser the first game of the year and it caught on and the collection grew. The players each game would eat the sugar-filled candy.
So, a bag full of Pez candy and dispensers were at the ballpark Tuesday in Joplin and an idea struck Cornell.
“I organized them today in hopes of changing our luck a little bit,” Cornell said.
In the top row was Goofy, Rex (from Toy Story), Roo (from Winnie the Pooh), Tinkerbell (yes, Tinkerbell), Tigger, Nala (from Lion King) and the Easter Bunny.
Row two was occupied by super heroes, which led to a discussion between the players and Cornell shortly after the lineup was tapped onto the dugout wall.
Who was playing? They would get to that later.
The big discussion was whether one Pez dispenser was Chuck Norris or Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was the latter.
But, Obi-Wan Kenobi was joined on the second row by Hulk, Wolverine, Spiderman, The Riddler, Batman and the Toy Story duo of Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
“The Post 392 Power Pez came through today, we will have to line them up the same way tomorrow, because we played great,” Cornell said. “There is something about superstitions when it comes to winning.”
Can the Power of the Pez deliver again?
Cody Thorn is the sports editor of the Daily News.
