Nichting 1 TJ Nichting Ms. Raymond Artist Paper Final October 30 !

013 "reati#e $%perstitions T%r& 'endell born May 1(th 1()* in Massach%setts +o%ld end %p being rated by some maga,ines and papers as the most s%perstitio%s athlete o- all time. ./T%r& 'endell01 For the sa&e o- this assignment +e +ill call his s%perstitions his creati#e process beca%se +itho%t these s%perstitions he -elt as i- he co%ld not per-orm his art to its top potential. 2is creati#e process +as on display in -ront o- millions each time he too& to the baseball -ield in Ma3or 4eag%e 5aseball. 6- one is -amiliar +ith baseball yo% +o%ld %nderstand that pitching is in -act an art. 5eing si7ty -eet si7 inches a+ay -rom a plate that has a +idth o- se#enteen inches and being able to pinpoint m%ltiple pitches that spin in di--erent +ays +ith di--erent grips is the %ltimate art -orm in sports. Pitching in the 5ig 4eag%es tho%gh +o+. Thats e#en more impressi#e. Not only do yo% ha#e to thro+ the ball o#er that se#enteen inch +ide plate yo% ha#e a g%y +ho is sitting there +ith a bat 3%st +aiting -or the ball to come across so he can +ac& it as hard as he can8 $ome o- his s%perstitio%s acts incl%ded each and e#ery time he +o%ld ta&e the mo%nd and lea#e the mo%nd he +o%ld leap o#er the -o%l line. 9ach inning he +o%ld che+ blac& licorice +hile pitching. 5et+een each inning he pitched he +o%ld go in the d%go%t and br%sh his teeth. Nec&laces he +o%ld +ear +o%ld be decorated +ith sharp teeth -rom animals he had &illed +hile h%nting. 2e e#en +as s%perstitio%s +hen it came to his contract negotiating as&ing the Ne+

Nichting ! :or& Mets to ma&e his contract +orth ;( ((( (((.(( -or the -act that he +ore n%mber ninety nine on the mo%nd +hich is already a #ery rare n%mber -or any baseball player to possess. 'hen as&ed in an inter#ie+ ho+ and +hen did those so called s%perstitio%s acts become a part o- his game he replied /6n high school 6 stepped on the -o%l line +hen ta&ing the -ield 6 ga#e %p some r%ns that inning. From that point on 6 ne#er +anted to step on the -o%l line again. 5ottom line these things RO<T6N9$ p%t %s in a com-ort ,one. The more com-ortable one -eels the better he=she +ill per-orm in +hate#er it is they are doing. 6- yo% don>t sho+er or br%sh yo%r teeth +hen yo% +a&e %p in the morning the +hole day yo% don>t -eel that good. 6t +ill a--ect yo%r day some+ay someho+ yo%r per-ormance +ill s%--er. As a M45 player yo% ha#e to reach the highest le#el yo% can each and e#ery day %nli&e in any other sport +ith a 1)! game sched%le and another 30 in $pring Training. :o% as& any s%ccess-%l M45 player and 6 ass%re yo% he had a ro%tine.0 .?asey1 'endell ho+e#er really +asn@t a big star and ne#er +on any a+ards b%t he +as de-initely a cro+d -a#orite. 6 mean come on +ho doesn@t +ant to see some -%nny and creati#e things li&e those 6>#e listed abo#eA The only honor it seems he has been besto+ed is being o- the most s%perstitio%s baseball players and athlete e#er. Men>s Fitness named him the most s%perstitio%s athlete o- all time +ith other names li&e Michael Jordan $erena 'illiams 'ade 5oggs and others appearing on the list +ith him. .M%rphy1 T%r& 'endell>s creati#ity and %niB%eness is slo+ly being -orgotten b%t here and there yo% +ill catch a #ideo o- him playing bac& in the 1((0s. 'hene#er there is another +idely &no+n s%perstitio%s and creati#e player li&e him +ill he then be res%rrected -rom the gra#e o- -orgotten players in the past. 6- someone +as to as& an older generation person +ho has a special interest

Nichting 3 in sports 6 promise yo% they +o%ld &no+ +ho yo% are tal&ing abo%t. 6- they don@t remember the name 6>m s%re they +o%ld remember him as /the g%y +ho br%shed his teeth d%ring the game0 or /the g%y +ho 3%mped o#er the -o%l line.0 Ro%tines and preparation -or games +ill al+ays e7ist and as long as sports e7ist there is al+ays a special place -or T%r& 'endell and his cra,y and creati#e ro%tine that he +ent thro%gh each day and pitching o%ting. Those names o- people that +ere +ritten %p in Men>s Fitness +ere names that +ill -ore#er linger in the history o- sports. There is no do%bt that he +ill be remembered -or a long time. All o- %s do s%perstitio%s things that are part o- o%r creati#e process. 9ach one o- %s probably did the same thing -or this paper that +e do -or the others. For me 6 pl%g in my m%sic to get my creati#e 3%ices -lo+ing and aim my -oc%s in on my tas& at hand. $ome people 3%st ha#e a little bit more e7treme creati#e process s%ch as T%r& 'endell>s.

Nichting C 'or& "ited M%rphy Ryan. D10 Most $%perstitio%s Athletes.D Men's Fitness. N.p. n.d. 'eb. 30 Oct. !013. DT%r& 'endell.D Wikipedia. 'i&imedia Fo%ndation n.d. 'eb. 31 Oct. !013. ?asey Matthe+. D6nter#ie+ +ith T%r& 'endell.DTurk Wendell, NYJSM Interview. N.p. !E Jan. !00(. 'eb. !F Oct. !013.