Mariners' Cal Raleigh Showers in Full Uniform, Ends Slump

When baseball slumps hit, players will try just about anything to turn their luck around, and Cal Raleigh proved he's no exception.

The Seattle Mariners catcher entered Tuesday night's game mired in an 0-for-38 slump, the longest single-season hitless streak in Major League Baseball since 2011. After walking, striking out, and flying out in his first three at-bats, the drought stretched even longer.

Then came the seventh inning. Raleigh singled to center field, finally breaking through. He followed up with another hit in the ninth inning, going 2-for-2 to end the night.

The secret to his success? A shower in full uniform the night before.

Pitcher Logan Gilbert suggested Raleigh "wash off the bad mojo" from the baseball gods. Teammate Bryan Woo revealed to reporters that Raleigh took the advice literally, stepping into the shower Monday night wearing his complete uniform.

"So, yeah, it worked. He was right. So, I got to give him credit where credit's due," Raleigh told reporters after the game.

Why This Inspires

Baseball has a rich history of quirky superstitions that remind us sometimes we all need a little ritual to reset our minds. Derek Jeter once wore a gold thong (courtesy of Jason Giambi's suggestion) to break an 0-for-32 slump and promptly homered.

These moments show the human side of professional athletes. Even last year's runner-up for American League MVP, who crushed a Seattle-record 60 home runs and drove in 125 runs, experiences doubt and struggles.

Manager Dan Wilson captured the team's collective relief: "We were all screaming for him, and it was a lot of relief for sure. And I know it felt good for Cal."

While Raleigh is batting just .166 this season with seven home runs in 40 games, he's now riding a 2-for-2 streak. The whole league knows what he's capable of when he gets hot, and Seattle fans are hoping the uniform shower was just the reset button their slugger needed.