Red Sox players illustrate problem MLB still has with chewing tobacco
Despite Major League Baseball's best attempt to visually eliminate the sight of smokeless tobacco in ballpark dugouts, it still remains highly addictive and heavily used among big leaguers.
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe spoke to members of the Boston Red Sox about how the use of chewing tobacco in their clubhouse is still existent and how it's been intertwined into the fabric of the game.
Currently, MLB rules prohibit teams from providing tobacco products to its players and those caught using it will be fined. Regardless of the potential financial risk to their wallet and their health, Abraham found that most players continue to use the product despite claims of not even enjoying it.
David Ortiz:
“I use it as a stimulator when I go to hit. But the minute I finish my at-bat I spit it out. It keeps me smooth and puts me in a good mood. I don’t do it in the offseason. I don’t really like it that much, to be honest with you.”
John Farrell:
“It’s a nasty habit, but it’s one of those traditions in baseball.”
Mike Napoli:
“It’s just part of my routine when I play. It would feel weird without it. I’ve gone a couple of months without it. But as soon as I step on a field, I feel like I need it.”
Jake Peavy:
“You certainly understand what MLB is trying to do. I respect that. At the same time, it’s really, really hard to tell grown men who have been in this game and done it for a long time that they can’t do something that’s legal. Old habits die hard.
“I grew up with it."
Drake Britton:
“I know I need to quit. I don’t want to be one of those guys who never quits, dips the rest of my life, and gets cancer.”
Abraham notes that of the 58 players informally surveyed, 21 admitted to using it, and of those, outfielder Jonny Gomes was the only one who said he didn't want to quit.
“I’d quit if my family wanted me to. The kids aren’t old enough to realize what’s going on. People are baffled I don’t do it in the offseason because I do it all the time when we’re playing. But I don’t have an addictive personality. There’s just something about it that goes with baseball. There’s something attached to hitting. I can’t describe it.
“Once I stop playing, I’ll never do it again. I know it’s a bad idea.”