Summary: <p>Tobacco in baseball has an intriguing history and one that is like that of a scorned lover. At the end of 2016, the labor agreements are up for renewal, leading to a “will they or won’t they” situation. Will the MLB totally obliterate smokeless tobacco from baseball? Or will they stay out of it for the most part as long as players go dipless during interviews and autograph signings.</p> <h2>The beginning of smokeless tobacco in baseball</h2> <p>Baseball and tobacco grew up together in America. Both made their mark on our history in the mid 1800s and while tobacco was proven to be dangerous several different times, baseball players continue to turn their noses up at science and turn their lips and cheeks out for that sweet, sweet tabacky. </p> <p>In the late 1800s, the average American (including ballplayers) was going through roughly 3 pounds of tobacco per day. That was before a German microbiologist by the name of Robert Koch suggested that spitting contributed to the spread of tuberculosis. No bueno. Chewing died down for a bit, but it was bound to rear its head again. </p> <h2>Oops, Tobacco is bad!</h2> <p>While most Americans gave up smokeless tobacco for cigarettes, baseball players continued with it as rumors swirled that cigarettes could cause fatigue and lead to hitting slumps. Slumps and fatigue are both quite possibly true, but that could be said of any profession where one was a smoker. We know today that smoking affects the lungs which could most definitely lead to poor hitting performances. Surprisingly (or maybe not), this superstition came from a sport where players actively smoked during the game. Can you imagine Bryce Harper smoking a stogie? </p> <div style="width: 630px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img src="http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/c_limit,f_jpg,fl_progressive,pg_1,w_680/f_auto,q_auto/x086r3twtysg4bqty1ng.jpg" width="620" height="400" alt="Lou Gehrig enjoys a drink and a smoke after a hard fought game. Before ballplayers were totally banned from sponsoring cigarettes this was not uncommon. " class="size-full"><p class="wp-caption-text">Lou Gehrig enjoys a drink and a smoke after a hard fought game. Before ballplayers were totally banned from sponsoring cigarettes this was not uncommon.</p> </div> <p>Aside from superstition, players felt smokeless tobacco had its benefits. Some accounts say that due to the dusty infields of the day, infielders would chew to keep their mouths from getting dry. So what, your mouth gets dry, no biggie. Actually, fairly big biggie. Gloves were and still are made out of leather and can get stiff over time. Think about what you do with a mitt as soon as you buy it. You oil it up, bake it, anything to keep it loose. Due to the glove tightness, players would spit their mouth juices into the mitts to keep them flexible during the game. They could also spit into their gloves to add a little extra gunk to their pitches. </p> <p>One last little blip about cigarettes and baseball, the two were closely related for consumers of the sport and the hobby. Cards of players could be found in cigarette packs and one such player was the legendary Honus Wagner. In 1909 the American Tobacco Company added his card into their cigarettes without his permission. Threatening to sue, Wagner put a stop to the card’s production, leading to its rarity. Only 57 are known to exist.</p> <h2>Just kidding, tobacco is fine!</h2> <p>The use of dip or smokeless tobacco really took off in the 60s, but from the beginning of the 1900s to the 40s any big baseball player was associated with different brands of cigarettes or cigars. It was hard to find a player that didn’t seem to be endorsing a smoking product. Willie Hays, Lou Gehrig were a few and Babe Ruth (who later died of throat cancer) can be seen in an ad saying “Now medical science! Proof Positive! No other leading cigarette is safer to smoke.” When the 60s rolled around, people finally re</p>
