# What are those Red Sox pitchers wearing around their necks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-red-sox-pitchers-wearing-around-their-necks/321843 "2005-09-15T19:47:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-red-sox-pitchers-wearing-around-their-necks/321843/1 "2005-09-15T19:47:43Z")
I watch a fair number of Red Sox games and have noticed the pitchers are wearing some kind of a weird necklace around their necks (duh!). It’s navy blue (like Red Sox blue) in colour, and looks quite thick (1/4"). It almost looks like surgical tubing. Anybody have any idea what these are? Thanks MtM ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-red-sox-pitchers-wearing-around-their-necks/321843/2 "2005-09-15T21:08:54Z")
Titanium necklaces. [link.](http://www.phitenusa.com/accessories01.htm) ---
**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:** [September 15, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-red-sox-pitchers-wearing-around-their-necks/321843/3 "2005-09-15T21:12:45Z")
Well, now that the question’s been answered, does anyone know if these things actually do what the seller claims—“quickly relieve pain and stress”? Seems a like a load of old bollocks to me. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-red-sox-pitchers-wearing-around-their-necks/321843/4 "2005-09-15T21:16:27Z")
It’s the Red Sox pitching staff. There ain’t nothing on this earth that’s gonna relieve the “Oh, Gawd, don’t blow the lead” stress they’ve been living under for the last several seasons. ---
**Author:** ![cardsfan1975](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cardsfan1975](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cardsfan1975)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-red-sox-pitchers-wearing-around-their-necks/321843/5 "2005-09-15T21:26:13Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > It’s the Red Sox pitching staff. There ain’t nothing on this earth that’s gonna relieve the “Oh, Gawd, don’t blow the lead” stress they’ve been living under for the last several seasons. I wish they had crumbled under the strain of that stress in last year’s World Series. ☹ cf’75 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-red-sox-pitchers-wearing-around-their-necks/321843/6 "2005-09-15T21:36:40Z")
PT Barnum will spend eternity smiling thanks to crap like this. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-red-sox-pitchers-wearing-around-their-necks/321843/7 "2005-09-15T21:45:22Z")
And it should be noted that it’s not just Red Sox pitchers who are sporting these. I’ve seen them on many different players on many different teams as well. In fact, I spotted one on Tampa Bay’s pitching coach last night. I guess when your minimum salary is $300K a year, at $23 vanity is cheap.