A 2004 ESPN interview given by Moises Alou, a baseball player with the Chicago Cubs, led to an interesting “factoid” that has since given rise to discussion. Alou stated that he does in fact pee on his hands during each season. He cited he felt this made his hands tougher, which resulted in a better grip of the bat, and a better batting average as a result.

Other players also admitted to the practice, including Jorge Posada, a catcher for the Yankees, and pitcher for the Cubs, Kerry Wood. Wood said he used urine on the hands to reduce blistering.

Wood may be on the right track. Players who use urine to soften their hands are more likely to achieve results, since the urea in urine is actually a hand softener. In fact, chemical forms of urea may be found in many skin lotions. Most scientists agree that lotions are more effective and certainly provide less of an "ick" factor.

Urine tends to be sterile, but can worsen skin problems like eczema. As well, urea content in urine is generally much lower than urea content in lotions. According to scientists, achieving the same softening effect with urine would mean baseball players would not only have to pee on their hands, but soak their hands in urine for about five minutes.

Still, baseball players are classed by most as superstitious, and likely to try things that might give the rest of us pause. Things that can achieve an ounce more of performance, without breaking any laws, may be viable options. There is also lore among some players that excrement in a baseball hat can stop a headache. It is fair to say that not many players indulge in this practice.

Though these players came forward to discuss the practice, there are many other players who would never try it. Especially since evidence suggests that urine does not make the hands tougher, it does not seem a viable option for players who want a better grip on their bat. Many use gloves for batting to enhance grip. Most players find this a better alternative than urine.