# Baseball question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 3, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132 "2009-11-03T04:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/1 "2009-11-03T04:08:09Z")
Mrs. Plant, hailing from Long Island is watching the world series. I am listening to Cassandra Wilson on my MP3 player. Why do baseball players spit so much? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/2 "2009-11-03T04:14:09Z")
Many of the ones you see spitting are, i believe, chewing tobacco. That tends to work up a lot of gross, black saliva and juice, which then needs to be expectorated. Of course, general athletic exertion sometimes leads to spitting as well. Sometimes when i’m running, i’ll find that saliva builds up in my mouth, and i prefer to spit it out rather than swallowing it during the run. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/3 "2009-11-03T04:17:51Z")
Thanks. Why is the old guy in Phillies regalia chewing gum with his mouth open? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/4 "2009-11-03T04:19:18Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Thanks. > Why is the old guy in Phillies regalia chewing gum with his mouth open? Because he wants to? Didn’t you do this same thread before, not too long ago? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/5 "2009-11-03T04:31:59Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Many of the ones you see spitting are, i believe, chewing tobacco. Sunflower seeds have become much [more popular](http://blog.cleveland.com/lifestyles/2008/03/chuck_crowthe_plain_dealerthe.html) in the past 15 years or so. Tobacco is still around, but declining. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/6 "2009-11-03T05:07:34Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Thanks. > Why is the old guy in Phillies regalia chewing gum with his mouth open? Because he’s Charlie Manuel. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/7 "2009-11-03T13:01:22Z")
Spitting isn’t the worst thing. Early in the Series, the camera zoomed in on A-Rod at third base between pitches, just in time to see him press one nostril closed while he blew a wad of snot into the air out of the other. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/8 "2009-11-03T14:46:53Z")
Baseball players grab their crotch a lot, too. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/9 "2009-11-03T15:55:28Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Spitting isn’t the worst thing. Early in the Series, the camera zoomed in on A-Rod at third base between pitches, just in time to see him press one nostril closed while he blew a wad of snot into the air out of the other. “Farmer blows” are always charming. The Fox camera caught Brett Favre doing the same on the Vikings sideline on Sunday (though, that shot lingered long enough to capture Mr. Favre clearing _both_ nostrils). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/10 "2009-11-03T16:39:35Z")
I don’t recall any team exceeding the “Filthy Phils” of 1993 in frequency or copiousness of expectoration. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/11 "2009-11-03T17:55:02Z")
One sometimes hears it said that the most disgusting thing on the face of the earth is the dugout floor in a major-league park. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question/516132/12 "2009-11-04T01:42:41Z")
They’re not exactly grabbing their crotches, they’re adjusting their protective cups.