What might seem weird and disgusting to some people is that baseball players sometimes pee on their hands to improve their gameplay. Pee on their hands you say, gross! Well it turns out that peeing on your hands can reduce blisters from forming, which is critical in baseball. Here is the breakdown on what urine does to your skin, some notable players who do this, and more!
What Does Urine Do to Your Skin?
When you urinate on your hands, you essentially trick your body by creating extra collagen production. The collagen production helps strengthen skin while acting as a moisturizer. While there are plenty of lotions, hand creams, and moisturizers that can strengthen your skin, pee is free.
Notable Players Admitting to Peeing on Their Own Hands
Throughout the history of the game, many MLB players admit to peeing on their hands. One notable player admitting to peeing on their hands during an interview with ESPN in 2004 was Moises Alou. Moises Alou, the former All-Star outfielder in Major League Baseball, cited the benefits of pee to harden the skin and prevent calluses. Since he did not use batting gloves as a hitter, Moises was developing blisters on his hands when gripping the bat, so urine helped toughen up his hands.
Some other Major Leaguers who peed on their hands include New York Yankees catcher, Jorge Posada, and Chicago Cubs Pitcher, Kerry Wood. Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon began developing a blister on his middle finger during a game in 2018 and told the press he was open to peeing on his hand. While it was unknown if Jameson Taillon did partake in that practice, the conversation is ordinary in dugouts and clubhouses.
What are the Drawbacks of Using Lotion In a Baseball Game?
Major League Baseball umpires will eject players who use lotion, cream, or moisturizer on their hands, especially pitchers during gameplay. Even if you intend to reduce blisters by using lotion, the cream can give you a better grip of the ball, which means more control. Having more authority can give your pitches more break making it an unfair advantage. That is why players have to sneak lotion under their cap or put in their back pocket, but you risk getting ejected.
Conclusion
Baseball players are full of superstition to play better, and peeing on their hands is one of them. If it works for a player to reduce blisters, they will swear by it to their teammates in the dugout and clubhouse. At the same time, there are plenty of lotions and hand creams players can use to reduce blisters. One to remember about using creams during gameplay is that you can receive an ejection, though.
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