At one time or another, you may have seen baseball players wearing chains. If you are not familiar with this game, you may wonder, why do baseball players wear chains?
Baseball players wear chains for different reasons, including for a stylish look and to improve their appearance, religious purposes, they feel better, and it boosts performance, marketing deals, and honor and sentimental value.
The official regulations that guide baseball players during Minor and Major League Baseball do not discourage the players from wearing jewelry on the pitch. Playing while wearing jewelry is only prohibited when it is extremely bright, and the light reflected directly from the jewelry interferes with the hitter or batter’s eyes. We have all come across photos of professional baseball players wearing chains, and the question of why do baseball players wear chains comes to mind. Therefore, this article will delve into the issue to help you understand some of the common reasons why you will see baseball players wearing chains.
Why do baseball players wear chains?
Baseball players wear chains for different reasons. Below are some exciting reasons and motives surrounding baseball player chains.
Stylish look and improving the appearance
Attractive jewelry pieces add a significant statement to one’s outfit, making them look sophisticated and stunning. Professional baseball players with million-dollar contracts can easily afford expensive jewelry pieces. The most common piece of jewelry that baseball players love is golden chains. Gold is a precious metal, and wearing a golden chain sends a statement of a powerful and luxurious appearance. The gold chains mostly feature a thick chain with an interwoven design that makes the player look cool. While some players leave their chains hidden under their jerseys, some choose to unbutton their jerseys to show their chains or just leave them hanging on top of the jersey to show off the chain collection and make them look attractive to their fans.
Religious purposes
While some baseball players wear chains just for appearance, others do it for religious purposes. There are some instances where we have asked ourselves, why do baseball players wear necklaces with a cross? The reason is that some of these players are deeply rooted in religion and strongly believe in their faith. Religion plays a crucial role in people’s spiritual lives, including baseball players. Therefore, devoted players will wear chains with crosses when playing, and they sometimes perform procedural moves, such as kissing the cross when playing. Chains meant for religious reasons are generally smaller, more modest, and lighter than those meant to enhance one’s appearance.
To feel better and boost performance
Some players believe that wearing chains makes them feel better and improves their performance. When watching Major League Baseball, you will realize that most professional athletes wear Phiten necklaces, and they claim that the chains boost their overall performance when playing. Over the years, manufacturers and designers have explained that some of these baseball player chains are made with titanium, which is said to improve blood flow at the neck and offer other health benefits that enable the player to perform better.
Marketing deals
We also know that top players usually have big marketing deals with different big companies. Some of these organizations are those designing and manufacturing top-tier chains that they want their target customers to know about. Therefore, players contracted by such companies wear chains to market them, and they get paid for it.
Honor and sentimental value
Sometimes people wear jewelry pieces not for their stylish looks or value but to honor someone who gifted them the item and because they mean something special. It can be a gift from a fan or a loved one, and it reminds the player of the person, and they want to honor them. Therefore, for some baseball players, they wear chains since they hold sentimental value, and the jewelry becomes a source of motivation when playing.
Below is a table summarizing the reasons that baseball players wear chains.
| Reason | Explanation |
| Stylish look and improving the appearance | Baseball players wear chains to enhance their looks. |
| Religious purposes | Baseball players wear chains, particularly with crosses, as a show of their faith. |
| To feel better and boost performance | Some necklaces are associated with health benefits that make baseball players feel better and have better performance. |
| Marketing deals | Some baseball players wear chains for marketing purposes and to attract potential customers. |
| Honor and sentimental value | For some baseball players, chains hold sentimental value to them. |
Different chains that baseball players wear
The necklaces that baseball players wear are mostly custom-made by designers and are relatively expensive. Some of the chains that they wear include:
Gold chains
You will often see baseball players with simple gold necklaces. These chains look beautiful, lightweight, and sophisticated and do not distract the player from the game.
Gold plated chain
Gold plated necklaces often come with an interwoven or plaited design. They are eye-catching due to their design and thickness, and baseball players love them since they add a statement to their style.
Gold cross
Baseball players who wear chains with crosses are usually religious individuals. This type of necklace is more modest and more negligible.
Conclusion
If you have been watching Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball, you may have wondered, why do baseball players wear necklaces? This article has outlined the different reasons why baseball players wear chains. There are different types of chains, and the one a baseball player wears reflects their personality and improves their appearance. Whatever the reason a player is wearing a chain, watching players and the different chains they wear adds excitement when watching baseball games.
FAQs
- Do players from other sports wear chains on the field?
Unlike Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball, NBA does not allow players to wear chains when playing to avoid causing injury when players collide. - Is it safe for baseball players to wear chains when playing?
Although wearing a chain does not cause any harm, players wearing jewelry run the risk of the uniform or fingers getting caught in them while playing.
