It is common for baseball players to wear chains while playing on the field. However, have you ever wondered why do baseball players wear chains and are there are many benefits to wearing them? If you have asked this question in the past, then we are here to answer all questions.
Simply put, the wearing of chains by baseball players is mostly for aesthetics, but some swear it has benefits. Some baseball players wear chains to show off. Others wear them for religious or superstitious purposes or to make themselves look good or confident.
Most players we see wearing chains are pro or MLB players that everyone knows or sees. Since these players are so famous, some of the incidents that happened to them with their chains make the evening news. And the types of chains that they wear are varied and come in many looks and sizes.
We will show you some of the more popular choices and help you decide if you should buy one of them. But before we talk about the chains they wear and funny incidents that happened to them, we need to learn about the related rules. So let’s not waste any more time and get into it.
Table of Contents
Can baseball players wear chains? Should they?
The MLB rulebook has no explicit rules that state when and where baseball players can wear chains. Therefore many baseball players wear one or more chains, and some of them are rather big. But there are some unspoken rules that these chain wearing players follow.
One of the key rules that pitchers and fielders need to follow is light reflection. More specifically, players shouldn’t wear chains reflecting light off them. This is because the reflection might hit the batter’s eye, throwing them off and making them miss pitches. If that were to happen, then it would fall under cheating.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, baseball players will wear chains that aren’t reflective by nature. Another way would be to wear reflective chains under their shirts when pitching or to the field. The players can take off the chain when they aren’t playing or celebrating.
Another big unspoken rule that players that wear chains need to follow is to not wear sharp jewelry. This rule is easy to understand because baseball is a rough sport. By rough, I am talking about players needing to slide into baseball or dive to catch a ball. Players can harm themselves when sliding or diving if they wear sharp jewelry because of their sharp points or corners.
Why do baseball players wear chains?
Now that we have learned about the baseball rules of players wearing chains, you will want to know why they can wear them. The biggest reason revolves around making themselves look good and be confident. Also, many baseball players wear chains for religious and superstitious reasons.
They believe wearing chains will make them play better or hit more home runs. To better help you understand these reasons, we will be getting into more details surrounding these reasons and tell you if they are correct or not.
To show off & brag
While the slang baller mostly talks about basketball players, it does get used to talking about baseball players quite often. When the term is used, it also means that the person being called a baller is living a lavish lifestyle. So to show off their baller lifestyle, these players wear gold chains and necklaces.
Sometimes these chains and necklaces come with diamonds and other precious stones. The cooler and more expensive the chains look, the richer and baller these players are meant to be. It all comes down to them bragging and measuring themselves with one another.
All sports, including baseball, have players trying to one up each other, and to do so, they compete about everything. From stats to jewelry, they will compete with everyone about everything. Basically, I can sum up this entire section in one simple sentence.
“They have the money so they can show off”
– bestbaseballreviews, 2022
To better their appearance
All pro baseball players can be considered celebrities, and all celebrities need to look good. One way to make themselves look attractive is to wear expensive to cheap baseball jewelry such as earrings and chains. Many players wear chains on and off the field to show off and look cool.
In fact, there are players whose look has become iconic enough that fans and others mimic them. These players don’t just look good for the fans. They do so to get the ladies as well. This isn’t something new, so don’t be surprised! It is a well known fact that celebrities, especially sports athletes are prone to having multiple lovers and partners.
One way to get the attention of good looking women such as models and actors is to wear items that catch their and reporters’ attention. Many players wore chains and necklaces from popular jewelry makers who also make jewelry for top tier actors and models.
Also, some baseball players wear chains and other accessories because they believe that by looking good, they will also play well. However, that point is irrelevant in this section, so we will discuss it in the next.
For superstitious reasons
You might have heard that there aren’t other people more superstitious than actors, but I am here to prove you wrong. I believe that sports players are some of the most superstitious people you will find anywhere. To back my claim, I will tell you about some of the weirdest rituals that pro baseball players follow before every game:
- Jorge Posada, the catcher for the New York Yankees, hits with his bare hand. Posada believes the old wives’ tale that urinating on your hands keeps your skin from getting calluses and hardening, so he does it all the time during the season.
- After a home run, kissing religious jewelry, making the cross sign, or pointing skyward.
It’s this second weird ritual that I want to talk about most in this section. Numerous players are either Christian or affiliated with another religion. Therefore it isn’t uncommon to see players wearing crosses made of gold or diamond. As one article from baseballprospectus stated, players have stated ‘thank you’ to higher power since post-game interviews started.
According to a study by two University of Maryland students, about 5.3% of walk-up and 3.1% of walk-out music are Christian related. This stat does show that religion does play a significant role in sports such as baseball.
To become more confident
This point is self-explanatory because, in sports, it is all about confidence and how well you can present yourself to your rivals and teammates. Numerous top level baseball players have gone on record saying that wearing certain chains and accessories helps increase their performance on the field.
During the mid-2000, MLB players all went crazy over the Phiten necklace. In fact, during that time, this craze actually went by the name Phiten craze. Players such as Jon Lester and Justin Pedroia stated that wearing Phiten necklaces made them better players.
Emotional support is definitely a factor when you talk about becoming confident. Numerous baseball players wear chains because they hold sentimental values. One of the best examples I can give would be Mookie Betts of the LA Dodgers. He is known for wearing two chains, both of which have tremendous value.
The first one is a large gold chain given to him by his late father when he was first drafted to the Red Sox. The other is a cheap acrylic necklace with a plastic bat and baseball on it. However, this cheap and simple necklace was given to him by a 13 year old girl during the 2018 spring training.
He has stated multiple times that these chains are dear to him and hold a lot of value to him. As such, he has been seen wearing them to every game since he got them.
Types of chains
You have read the common reasons baseball players wear chains, so all that is left is to learn about what type of chains they usually wear. Out of all the ones we have seen and read about, four are, in general, the most popular.
Gold chains
Out of all the chains and necklaces you can find, golden chains are by far the most common and practical. To make these gold chains, jewelers will use all gold or a combination of gold and another metal. Those that use a combination are lighter and aren’t as reflective as some other chains.
Also, gold chains come in multiple designs, and if the players want to, they can go to their jewelers for a custom piece. However, if you want to buy one, you can go to local jewelry stores, but I think Amazon might be your best bet. There you will be able to see as many options and designs as you want and make a better choice.
Here is a simple gold chain design that anyone can pull off. The price of these gold chains is about 1/10th of those worn by professionals. The build quality is quite good, so it can last for years if you take care of it.
Gold cross
As I have mentioned above, there are a lot of religious players on MLB teams. And most of them have a habit of kissing the cross they wear after a good hit or pitch. Many players are prone to wearing a gold cross of various designs. Also, these crosses tend to be either gold or a combo of gold and other metals.
As such, these can either be heavier or lighter than the standard crosses worn by most other people, which are made of silver. The design of the crosses differs greatly, with some being common while others can be quite elaborate. In the end, the Cross is a symbol of faith and has been quite popular for a long time.
If you want to buy one for yourself, you can go to local jewelry stores, but I believe Amazon is your best bet. There, you will be able to see as many alternatives and designs as you want and make a more informed decision.
Here is one of the simpler baseball cross designs that looks simple yet functional simultaneously. This one uses gold and stainless steel for a non-reflective, beautiful gold cross that anyone can wear.
Gold plated chains
Another trendy choice for baseball players to wear is the gold plated chains alongside gold chains. The most unique feature of these chains/necklace is their design. These gold plated necklaces come in plaited or interwoven patterns. Also, these necklaces are slightly heavier, so they are less likely to fly off when the players are diving or sliding.
But they are known to obstruct the players’ views, so you might want to be careful how you wear them. Either way, the popularity of these chains can’t be denied, as some players like Betts have released their own models. The price range of these plated chains is also broad, so one is available for everyone.
This gold plated chain you are seeing above might seem expensive but quite affordable. I have said that some of these chains can be heavy, but there are lightweight designs as well, so rest easy.
Phiten necklace
Phiten necklaces are one of the most controversial types on our list due to what some players who wear them say. The design of these chains involves twisting ropes in multiple colors. Additionally, these necklaces are infused in titanium, which isn’t done for fashion reasons.
This sounds quite simple and might even interest some of you, but you haven’t heard the questionable part yet. Many players who wear them say that the Phiten necklaces work as alternative medicine. Due to being infused with titanium, the necklace works like a small magnet that aligns the body’s electrical fields.
The players state that aligning their electric field reduces the body’s muscle strain, improving their performance. A Japanese manufacturer says that their nylon-coated titanium-infused chains maximize the strength and stamina of those that wear them. But there have been no studies as of yet that support this claim in any scientific manner.
Others
Other than the types we have mentioned above, there are many other types such as stainless steel, silver, etc. Overall the other types of chains worn by baseball players have their own benefits and designs which catch the players’ and fans’ attention differently. For a quick review, we have a few silver necklace and chain designs below.
Each of the designs shown above is slightly different, but all have practical, and eye catcher features. Silver and stainless steel crosses are the common choices for baseball players, but other stunning choices are available everywhere. We recommend you check out Amazon because of their bigger selection and broader price range.
MLB baseball players that wear chains
We have mentioned many names of MLB players that wear chains of many designs, and here are some more whom you might know. One of them is Mookie Betts of the LA Dodgers, whom we have already discussed. Also, many of the New York Yankees, like Derek Jeter, wear a chain but kept tucked under their shirt.
Incidents of baseball players wearing chains
We have said that many baseball chains and necklaces are made so that they don’t cause issues. However, that doesn’t happen; when something goes wrong, it becomes an incident that people remember. For example, here are two of the more famous incidents that happened to baseball players who wear chains.
Yoenis Cespedes (2018)
This incident occurred in Citi Field in 2018 when Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets slid into second base. While he did so, he broke his diamond necklace into many places. Due to how it broke, he needed the assistance of the referees to find them all.
Lance McCullers Jr (2017)
This incident is mysterious because we don’t know how it happened. Still, Lance McCullers Jr of the Houston Astros broke his diamond-encrusted bracelet. Like Cespedes’s necklace, the bracelet broke into many little pieces. He had to spend a lot of time sifting through a lot of “debris,” finding all the pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Mookie Betts is known to wear two chains, both of which hold sentimental value. His father gave him one of the chains he wore when he was drafted to the Red Sox, a gold plated chain. The other was a gift given to him by a little girl during the 2018 spring training.
Like MLB, the NFL players are allowed to wear chains, but they are required to wear them under their gear, and they can’t wear hard objects. But NBA players aren’t allowed to wear chains or accessories.
Phiten necklaces are a craze that suddenly propped up, with players claiming that it helps them perform better. Even in 2020, there haven’t been any results from studies that support these claims. In fact, most scientists have stated that players are under a ‘Placebo Effect’ where their mind has convinced them it does work.
There aren’t any hard rules that say that MLB players aren’t allowed to wear earrings, but you shouldn’t. This is because these earrings have sharp points, which can be dangerous and may cause injuries.
Conclusion
You have seen Major and Minor league baseball players wearing chains for a long time, and they do so for a number of reasons. They might be wearing them for vanity, for confidence, or they might wear them because of their religious or superstitious belief. Regardless, you can’t say that those chains they wear aren’t cool or don’t look amazing.
If you are in the market for some gifts then we have curated a list of 100 baseball gifts and 100 softball gifts that includes jewelry such as a chains and rings.
