Watch a game of baseball, and we have no doubt that you will see countless baseball players grabbing their crotch. It can be somewhat off-putting, but it happens anyway. So, why are baseball players grabbing their crotch?
There are many reasons why baseball players grab their crotch. The most likely is down to a readjustment of the cup around that area. However, it is also likely down to tight pants or may even be superstition for the players on the field. It is all down to the individual player.
Let’s go into a little depth on this, shall we? We are sure you want to know more about why baseball players seem to be grabbing their crotch all the time, right?
Why Do Baseball Players Grab Their Crotch?
As we said, there are several reasons why a player may grab their crotch when they are playing baseball. Let’s go through them, shall we?
1. Their Protective Cup Has Moved
Balls in baseball travel exceedingly fast. You probably don’t need us to tell you that. If that fast-travelling ball hits the wrong place, then…well, it isn’t going to be pleasant.
This is why male baseball players have a cup on the crotch. This plastic cup helps to protect their lower regions from some serious damage. The problem with those plastic cups is that they are likely to move, and it can be rather uncomfortable when they do so. If you are unlucky, then you could have a sharp bit of plastic digging deep into a rather sensitive area.
This means that every so often, the plastic cup is going to need to move. The players will be doing this. You are likely to see a baseball player grab their crotch after they have thrown a pitch or given a good run. Basically, anything that could cause physical activity is going to cause that cup to slip out of place.
2. Their Pants Are Tight
It probably is no secret to you that baseball pants can be pretty tight. Just like the cup, the pants will need a bit of adjustment every so often. Again, this is something that is likely going to happen after a player has made a pretty physical play, but it can happen at any point during the game.
If it is tightness in the pants, then it is likely to be a small adjustment. You may notice a pinching of the fabric when this happens. Not all baseball players need to do this.
It is actually worth noting that some players are subject to checks where they must pull their pants down. The idea is to ensure that the pitcher is not working that ball in a way that goes against the rules. This means that pitchers may often find that their pants are a little bit ‘off’ when they pitch, which means that there has to be an opportunity to adjust.
3. It’s a Habit
Yep. Giving the crotch an adjustment is a bit of a habit for some players. There may not be anything wrong with their crotch area, but they are so used to doing it that they just instinctively give it a bit of an adjustment. Of course, it is going to be pretty difficult to tell when a player is doing it instinctively. You can’t really tell whether they are making an adjustment to that area, after all.
4. Superstition
Baseball is full of superstitions. People believe that if they do not act in a certain way before they do something in the game, then everything will go a little bit wrong for them.
It should probably come as no surprise that a crotch grab may be one of those superstitions. You may notice that a player is giving a grab before their pitches the ball or even stepping up to the batting area. You will probably not know they are doing it for superstitious purposes, though.
5. It could Be Sending Signals
In rare cases, baseball players could be sending ‘play’ signals to other members of their team. However, we must admit that this part is pretty uncommon. After all, there are other ways to send a signal, and they are probably going to be that much more appealing to look at than a crotch grab.
That being said, it is not unheard of for certain baseball players to do this although, once again, it is probably going to be tough to spot if you aren’t exactly sure what you are looking for.
Is It Against The Rules To Grab Your Crotch In Baseball?
No. If it was against the rules, you wouldn’t see it happen dozens and dozens of times per game. There seems to be no sign that it is going to be banned either.
That being said, certain crotch grabs are banned, although they must be offensive. Obviously, adjusting the cup around the groin is probably going to be fine. However, if you grab the crotch in an offensive manner, then you could get ejected from the game. This is something that has happened to players before.
Of course, for this rule to come into action, it has to be a plainly offensive gesture, and it is unlikely that this is going to be easy to prove, particularly when it is pretty normal to grab your crotch when you are playing the game anyway.
Final Thoughts
While it is not always the greatest thing to look at, baseball players are adjusting their crotch for a reason. In most cases, it is because if they don’t adjust their crotch, they are going to have a cup digging deep into the areas where you probably don’t want a cup digging into. In some cases, it may be because the player is superstitious.
As long as a player is not grabbing their crotch in an offensive manner, then it is 100% fine to do while playing the game, even if most people really don’t like to see it.
