The former New York Yankees star opens up about his superstitious past as an athlete.
Alex Rodriguez would have a tough time playing this season of professional baseball without chewing some gum. The 44-year-old former New York Yankees player appeared on Thursday's Jimmy Kimmel Live where he spoke with guest host Sebastian Maniscalco about some of the MLB's new rules regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the rules put in place to help keep the players safe is there will be no spitting or chewing dip by the athletes -- but thankfully, chewing gum is still allowed.
"Of all the things that I would have the hardest adjustment with -- as baseball players we're very superstitious -- but not chewing gum while playing baseball, I would be awful," A-Rod admitted. "I mean, that would be a real score breaker for me."
The former professional athlete also revealed, "I probably went through about 36 pieces of gum every game I played."
Rodriguez said that chewing gum gave him confidence on the field.
"I would take three or four pieces of gum, you can probably see it on YouTube, I would put it in, and I started chewing and it was like I just had an attitude or something," he recalled. "It was bogus, but it gave me a little bit more swag."
Rodriguez also addressed the fact that there won't be any fans in the stands when the season starts this year.
"Baseball is synonymous with the greatest fans in the world and that energy both at home at Yankee Stadium or on the road at Fenway, they both energize you. This'll remind me and other players of a spring training game," he said. "The sounds of baseball are magical -- the sound of the ball going into the mitt, the sound of the crack of the wood. I mean, baseball is just the best."
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