As if I needed another reason to be a San Francisco Giants fan, I just learned that the skipper of the reigning world champs has kicked the terribly unhealthy - but common-in-the-dugout - habit of chewing tobacco. And, as reported by the Associated Press, he did it with the help of medical hypnosis:
Bochy -- a skeptic on these sorts of things -- had to see for himself if he could finally kick his nearly 40-year pattern of dipping before and after games and several times during the course of nine innings. He did it in the first, fifth and eighth innings. That had been his routine for years, a go-to stress reliever to deal with the pressures of a 162-game season.
When he left [the hypnotist's] office, minus his own $300 investment, Bochy headed straight to Chase Field for a game against the Diamondbacks.
He arrived in the clubhouse and didn't want a dip. The game started and there were no cravings. He has handled the occasional urges ever since.
"It was really strange," Bochy said. "There are so many triggers that you have that make you want to put a dip in. The following day, I did have an urge, not a real strong one. I said, 'OK, I've had my day off, now it's time to put one in."
But he didn't do it.
"The next game I did have an urge. The next two to three days I still had an urge, but it just wasn't as strong as other times I've tried to quit," he said. "When I got past the fourth or fifth day, I was over it. I didn't crave it. I didn't want it. I was fine."
Bochy has been tobacco-free since April.
Previously: Major League Baseball urged to ban all tobacco use and Congressman calls for ban of chewing tobacco in baseball
