Earlier this season, the Minnesota Twins revived their offense with the good luck charm of a summer sausage. But the New York Yankees’ pitching staff has benefited all season from their own talismans, ones that are much nicer (especially in terms of aroma) and without worries of them rotting or spoiling.
Candles have taken over the Yankees clubhouse this season, as reported by Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated. Scents like caramel, citrus and bamboo currently fill the air in the locker room, thanks to the team’s starting pitchers.
The enthusiasm for scented candles was sparked by Marcus Stroman, who brought his preference to the Bronx by signing with the club.
“A few years ago, he started lighting a candle before every outing. He lights them all the time at home, he says, and he wanted to bring that sense of calm to his workplace. He blows out the wick just before heading to the office. “He prefers a smell.” strong (bamboo, for example, or palo santo) so that his companions would find out.
However, everyone else in the starting rotation has agreed to bring their preferred sail on the days they pitch. At first, the players’ wives helped detect certain smells. Clarke Schmidt’s mother, who runs a boutique in Atlanta, was a major supplier at one time.
But pitchers now take pride in selecting their own candles and even travel in groups to local stores to get their fix.
The refreshing aromas or the zen feeling you can get when lighting a candle have obviously had a positive effect on the Yankees. The team has the best record in the American League at 46-21 entering Monday’s schedule, while the pitching staff’s 2.90 ERA is the best in MLB. And only the Philadelphia Phillies’ rotation has a better ERA than the Yankees’ 2.85 mark.