Without homo sapiens, there is no superstition, or baseball.  Superstitions exist to help humanity explain the unknown and provide comfort.  Rituals, whether ones passed down from ancient times or personally created, give us the illusion that we can impact events through action inspired by faith.  Belief in this illusion can result in breakthroughs in this realm.  Success is by no means guaranteed, but the endeavor can be embarked upon with greater confidence, thus improving the odds of success.  Therefore, it is easy to understand why baseball, like most athletics, is saturated in superstition.  While attending the Tiger games in Seattle, we noticed Gene Lamont has a strange third base routine.

Third Base