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Further Review: Hey, baseball, time to quit the spit

By Steve Hummer

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tony Gwynn, hitter nonpareil, died in mid-June of the kind of cancer that should have sent a chill through every clubhouse in baseball. A member of the dip-and-spit set when he played, Gwynn suffered salivary gland cancer. He was only 54 at his death.
In a story looking at baseball’s and the Braves’ reaction to Gwynn’s death — to appear in Sunday’s print edition of the AJC, as well as on myajc.com — it was necessary to include the disclaimer that there was no precise science connecting Gwynn’s cancer to his past use of smokeless tobacco.
But, c’mon, a little common sense here. Gwynn had said the cancer begin very near the area of his mouth where he once loaded his dip. He blamed his fate on his tobacco use. Even without the seal of definitive medical proof, that should be good enough for the third of baseball that still spews foul brown juice.
The use of chewing and dipping tobacco has been a stain on baseball, literally, since forever. Trying it is a rite of passage for every young player — the nausea and the dizziness that the first-timer experiences, that’s just all good fun. Staying with it is a sort of concession, a player admitting he can figure no better way to spend his many idle hours than to stuff a caustic weed in his mouth and spit it out one dirty dribble at a time.
And once they get hooked, good luck trying to get off the nicotine dragon.
An athlete faces so many risks that he or she is powerless to avoid. Each sport takes its own kind of toll on joint and organ. Why in the name of Nike — the winged goddess of victory, not the shoe — would anyone willingly add to the potential harm by taking up such a frivolous, filthy habit?
Not as many in baseball use the stuff now as 20 years ago. And some have been forced to a reckoning by the news of last month. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel for one seemed genuinely motivated to quit his dipping when the season is done.
But I fear too many players will put off the hard work of quitting until the season passes, gradually set aside the lesson of this summer and stay with the slow, comfortable slide that smokeless tobacco provides. Then it will be just the same ol’ spit from there.
Gwynn’s legacy deserves so much more than that.
http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/further-review-hey-baseball-time-to-quit-the-spit/ngYZ5/

Tobacco use still high in college ball, off field

USA Today

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Virginia pitcher Josh Sborz slips a pinch of chewing tobacco between his cheek and gum every now and then, even though the NCAA banned the substance 20 years ago,

“I enjoy the taste. It’s not like I’m addicted to it,” Sborz said. “I just enjoy it, definitely. I do it maybe once a month or every other week.”

Sborz said this week’s death of Hall of Fame baseball player Tony Gwynn might give college players some pause. Gwynn died at 54 of oral cancer believed to be connected to his long use of chewing tobacco.

“It should have an impact when such a star-studded player’s life was ended by the addiction he had. It’s sad,” Sborz said.

Whether Gwynn’s death has any real impact is an open question and it comes amid some concerns: Baseball players acknowledging using spit tobacco at least once in the previous month rose from 42.5 percent in 2005 to 52.3 percent in 2009, according to the NCAA’s quadrennial survey substance use trends among its athletes. Results of the 2013 survey have not yet been released, though preliminary results suggest a drop since 2009.

About 15 percent of teams in each NCAA sport are asked to participate in the anonymous survey, with a total sample size of about 20,000 athletes. Among all male athletes, 16 percent acknowledged using tobacco in 2005 and 17 percent in 2009.
Sborz said he thinks the survey is “skewed” when it comes to ball players.
“All those people don’t do it every day,” he said. “If people do it every day, that’s where it becomes a problem. If they do it once every week, I don’t see any issue with it.”
Minor-league baseball banned tobacco in 1993, a year before the NCAA. Tobacco is not banned in the major leagues.
Though tins of tobacco aren’t visible in college dugouts like they were before 1994, that doesn’t mean players aren’t dipping when they’re away from the ballpark.
“It’s 100 percent part of baseball culture,” said Virginia second baseman Branden Cogswell, who estimated half his teammates chew tobacco at least occasionally. “It’s kind of a habit for people, kind of a comfort thing. I’ve never been a part of that group, but so many guys do it. People take those risks. It’s their choice.”
Dave Keilitz, executive director of the American Baseball Coaches Association, said he was surprised to find out so many baseball players were using tobacco.
“I think most of our coaches, if not all of our coaches, are very aware of the danger and also don’t want their players using it,” Keilitz said. “In my 20 years of doing this, I haven’t seen any evidence of that taking place in dugouts, in games. I hope the same holds true in practice sessions.”
Keilitz said his organization adamantly opposes the use of smokeless tobacco and participated in the making of a video that illustrates the dangers.
Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said he chewed during his playing days in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Like Keilitz, he was surprised so many players acknowledge using tobacco.
“If kids are doing it, they’re doing a heck of a job of hiding it,” he said.

The NCAA said the ban was put in place as part of its charge to protect the safety and welfare of athletes. The penalty for violating the ban was left to the committee that oversees each sport. The Baseball Rules Committee instructed umpires to eject any player or coach who is using tobacco or who has tobacco in his possession. Enforcement was spotty until the committee made it a point of emphasis in 2003.

In spite of the warnings the players receive, Texas coach Augie Garrido said he knows some members of his team chew tobacco.

“There’s a lot more of it in Texas,” he said, “because it’s not only about the baseball. It’s about hunting, it’s about fishing, it’s about being a man.”

As for Sborz, he started chewing for a simple reason.

“I saw an older kid do it, so I thought I’d try to do it,” he said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/baseball/2014/06/20/tobacco-use-still-high-in-college-ball-off-field/11121159/

As baseball ponders tobacco issue, Tony Gwynn to get his say

Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

OAKLAND – Tony Gwynn’s multitude of accomplishments, career batting average of .338 and his pioneering use of video earned him the rapt attention of players whenever he talked baseball.

Major League Baseball hopes an even more important message he’s delivering posthumously sinks in as well.

Gwynn, who died of mouth cancer Monday at 54, speaks out against smokeless tobacco use in a taped segment of an informational video MLB is producing and plans to release this season. The Hall of Fame outfielder believed he developed cancer because of his years-long habit of using spit tobacco, although that was never medically confirmed.

Whether Gwynn’s untimely death and his stance against smokeless tobacco will curtail its use among players remains an open question.

Research by the Pro Baseball Athletic Trainers Society revealed the number of major leaguers who use spit tobacco has declined from about 50% to 33% in the last 20 years.
However, that’s still about 10 times the amount in the general population, according to the American Cancer Society, whose data from 2012 showed 3.5% of Americans 12 and older – or 9 million – use the highly addictive product.
“It’s definitely ingrained and something that’s part of our baseball culture, but it’s not exclusive to baseball,” said Oakland Athletics first baseman Brandon Moss, a non-user. “You would hope a figure like (Gwynn), something tragic like that happening, would be a wake-up call for everyone, not just those in baseball. … But most guys are probably going to look at it as the loss of a great man and a great baseball player and leave it at that.”
Indeed, the stance among players seems to be that they’re aware of the dangers but, like smoking, it’s up to every individual to decide whether to use what remains a legal product.

The National Cancer Institute says in its website that smokeless tobacco contains at least 28 chemicals that have been found to cause cancer – typically of the mouth, esophagus and pancreas – and may also lead to heart disease, gum disease and oral lesions.

“People understand the risks involved and still choose to do it,” Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “We all do stupid things, whatever your vice happens to be. People may criticize these guys for dipping, and then somebody’s texting and driving.”

And while Gwynn’s passing was lamented throughout the game, it doesn’t figure to be interpreted by many players – who are usually in their 20s or early 30s, with the concomitant sense of invincibility – as a cautionary tale.

“It’s one of those things that’s scary and obviously you hope you’re not the one,” said A’s catcher Stephen Vogt, who said he dips once in a while. “I don’t think it’s good. I definitely don’t advocate it, but at the same time, it’s an adult decision.”

Baseball has taken steps to sway that decision, or at least make the practice less visible to minimize the impact on young fans.

The current collective bargaining agreement, in effect from 2012-16, bans players, managers and coaches from using smokeless tobacco during TV interviews and team appearances. And they have to keep tobacco products out of sight while fans are at the ballpark.
In addition, MLB and the players union have stepped up educational efforts, and teams – which in the past freely distributed cans of dip in the clubhouse – can no longer do so and are now required to administer oral exams as part of the spring training physicals every year.
Longtime TV announcer Joe Garagiola, who quit his smokeless tobacco habit in his 30s, made it his life’s mission to warn other baseball folks about its dangers, making presentations during spring training alongside former major league outfielder Billy Tuttle, who died of oral cancer at 69 in 1998.
“I don’t think we talk about it enough anymore,” says Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. “I remember as a young A-ball manager, Joe Garagiola would always come around in spring training with Bill Tuttle. It was scary.
“And I still see people chewing tobacco. Not only in the big leagues, but you still see kids in junior high and high school.
For me, it’s not enough yet. It’s a shame.”

Indeed, the sight of players constantly spitting, some sporting a large wad of tobacco inside their cheek, remains one of the game’s enduring images.

“Every spring training we have a guy that comes in who’s had mouth cancer through tobacco,” Rangers utilityman Donnie Murphy said. “So you see it. But at the same time, it’s like an addiction thing. You do it for so long, you’re going to want to keep doing it.”

Players say using smokeless tobacco provides a form of relaxation and becomes part of their routine in a daily sport with lots of down time.

And with amphetamines now banned from baseball, the jolt of energy from the nicotine in the tobacco – absorbed during a longer stretch through dip or chew than by smoking – can help players navigate the season’s six-month grind.

Commissioner Bud Selig has expressed a desire to banish smokeless tobacco from the majors the same way MLB barred it from the minors starting in 1993. But the issue is subject to collective bargaining and the players association has declined, opting to protect personal freedoms and emphasize education.

“The MLBPA discourages the use of smokeless tobacco products by its members or by anyone else. These products carry serious health risks, yet remain legally and widely available,” union spokesman Greg Bouris said via e-mail. “In general terms, included in the smokeless tobacco policy negotiated in 2011 are restrictions/prohibitions on its use, increased emphasis on education and cessation programs, as well as oral examinations. At this point in time, player education continues to be a focus of ours.”

Contributing: Paul White in Washington

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/06/19/mlb-tobacco-tony-gwynn/10937253/

Players find tobacco habit hard to shake

By Peter Abraham |  BOSTON GLOBE

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The sequence when Red Sox slugger David Ortiz walks to home plate has been the same for years now.
Big Papi tucks his bat under his right arm, spits into the palm of his batting glove, and slaps his hands together before staring out at the pitcher.
But there’s one aspect of the routine that Ortiz wishes he could stop: the need to have a pinch of tobacco in his right cheek.
It’s a habit he picked up in the minor leagues and can’t break.
“I use it as a stimulator when I go to hit,” Ortiz said. “But the minute I finish my at-bat I spit it out. It keeps me smooth and puts me in a good mood. I don’t do it in the offseason. I don’t really like it that much, to be honest with you.”
Smokeless tobacco use stubbornly remains a part of baseball, even though Major League Baseball has tried to discourage its use for the last few years because it is known to increase the risk of cancer. While smokeless tobacco use is not as prevalent in baseball as it was several years ago, a survey of the 58 Red Sox players invited to spring training this year found 21 who admitted to using it.
“It’s a nasty habit, but it’s one of those traditions in baseball,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell, who “dipped” smokeless tobacco when he played and admits to using it now on occasion.
Major League Baseball rules prohibit teams from providing tobacco products to players and strongly encourages clubhouse attendants not to purchase tobacco for players. Players cannot have tobacco tins in their uniform pockets or do televised interviews while using smokeless tobacco. Violators are subject to fines; no Red Sox players have been fined.
The rules were put in place in 2011 as part of the latest collective bargaining agreement with the Players Association. An initial proposal to ban tobacco use entirely was rejected by the players. The idea behind the rule change was to look out for the health of the players, present a better example to children, and clean up the image of a game long stained by disgusting brown spit.
“When I first started playing, everybody did it,” said Ortiz, the team’s most veteran player. “Now you see fewer guys because everybody knows it’s bad for you. They try to educate us about it, but some people don’t listen.”
As part of the effort to discourage use, the Red Sox provide alternatives to their players. There are five flavors of bubble gum available in the clubhouse, along with tubs of sunflower seeds. There’s even a big box of fruit chews imported from Japan.
Most players who use smokeless tobacco actually use snuff, finely ground tobacco usually placed under the lower lip. A few players chew leaf tobacco, creating telltale bulging cheeks.
In the Globe’s informal poll, the only Red Sox player who said he didn’t want to quit was outfielder Jonny Gomes. He’s also the only one interviewed who uses chewing tobacco, not snuff.
“I’d quit if my family wanted me to,” Gomes said. “The kids aren’t old enough to realize what’s going on. People are baffled I don’t do it in the offseason because I do it all the time when we’re playing. But I don’t have an addictive personality. There’s just something about it that goes with baseball. There’s something attached to hitting. I can’t describe it.
“Once I stop playing, I’ll never do it again. I know it’s a bad idea.”
For each player, the habit takes on different forms. Pitchers Jake Peavy and Felix Doubront said they use smokeless tobacco only when they’re on the mound. Fellow pitchers Andrew Miller and Clay Buchholz use it during games but not when they’re pitching.
“It’s just part of my routine when I play,” first baseman Mike Napoli said. “It would feel weird without it. I’ve gone a couple of months without it. But as soon as I step on a field, I feel like I need it.”
The dangers of smokeless tobacco are evident.
It increases the risk of various forms of oral cancer, gum disease, and lesions in the mouth that can become cancerous, according to the American Cancer Society and other medical groups. Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn was found to have mouth cancer in 2010 and required extensive surgery. He believes it was from tobacco use.
Smokeless tobacco delivers a greater dose of nicotine — the addictive ingredient in tobacco — than a cigarette, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Although the nicotine is absorbed more slowly, a greater amount stays in the bloodstream.
Starting in 2012, teams were required to have dentists screen players for signs of oral cancer. The Red Sox had their exams when they reported to spring training.
“You certainly understand what MLB is trying to do,” Peavy said. “I respect that. At the same time, it’s really, really hard to tell grown men who have been in this game and done it for a long time that they can’t do something that’s legal. Old habits die hard.
“I grew up with it,” said Peavy, who grew up and still lives in Alabama. “It was big with my family. Next thing you know, you’re buying cans and you’re addicted to nicotine.”
But Peavy wants to quit because of his three young baseball-loving sons.
“I can’t stand the idea of them seeing me do it and thinking it’s OK for them,” he said.
Doubront, who has two sons, feels the same way.
“My family hates it,” he said.
Fears that players’ children, and young fans, will follow their lead are well founded. A survey done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009 found that 15 percent of high school boys were using smokeless tobacco, a 36 percent increase from 2003.
Third baseman Brandon Snyder quit after he found out his wife was pregnant early last season.
“One night I had a dream that I died from something having to do with dip,” he said. “When I woke up I didn’t have the slightest want or need for a tobacco product. I had been doing it since I was 13.”
Because tobacco use is prohibited in the minor leagues and most levels of amateur baseball, many younger players arrive in the majors unfamiliar with it. But two Sox prospects, outfielder Bryce Brentz and lefthander Drake Britton, said the minor league tobacco ban is only casually enforced.
“I did it in the minors,” Britton said. “The people who want to can still do it. They’ll look in your locker to see if you have it, but that’s really it.”
Britton was casually spitting into a water bottle as he spoke.
“I know I need to quit,” he said. “I don’t want to be one of those guys who never quits, dips the rest of my life, and gets cancer.”
Brentz, 25, is trying to quit now. He’s worried he’ll reach for a tin once he goes hitless in a game.
“It doesn’t take much for a baseball player to blame something,” he said. “I should feel the same chewing gum, but I don’t. It’s addicting.”
Snyder and Gomes have tried chewing a mint product manufactured in Danvers. Jake’s Mint Chew, founded in 2010, has provided a tobacco alternative to players from the Red Sox, Orioles, Dodgers, and Twins, along with a few NFL players.
Adam Benezra, who founded the company with Jake Sweeney, said sales rose by 132 percent after the first year and have climbed steadily sense. The company now has seven employees.
“We get a lot of athletes who contact us,” Benezra said.
Miller could be the next.
“I’m torn all the time, but there are dangers in everything,” he said. “I try for moderation, and I don’t do it in the offseason. It’s a habit during baseball season for me, and it always has been. I wish it wasn’t. I feel like an idiot for doing it.”
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/03/06/tobacco-chewing-nasty-habit-still-kicking-mlb/nZDZK9LOFDlr0MFj9X1WkO/story.html