Pretzels in the Dugout

By: Michael Gruber

What better way to enjoy a pretzel than from the bench of a high school baseball game.  Sterling High School baseball bench regulars call themselves, “the pretzel gang.”

Not playing in the game can get you down, but the pretzel gang say otherwise and instead of getting down decide to eat two to four pretzels to keep spirits high while cheering on teammates out in the field.

Keeping the mood light, backup third baseman, Nick Semiraglio, says, “while the guys on the field are working keeping their batting averages up, I’m over here keeping my pretzel average up, I’m at four a game.”

The Pretzel Gang says, “ We pride ourselves on the proud tradition of eating pretzels and cheering on the team” while outsiders may feel as though the pretzels take away from the game and cause a distraction, pitcher and bench frequenter, Brent Ewald, say,” pretzels definitely don’t take away, they keep us chewing and they keep us focused, some guys eat seeds, we eat pretzels.”

All the while the pretzel gang and the entire team for fact couldn't stop with the praise and thank for Mrs. McGoldrick who provides the teams pretzels.

However, there are some players within the team such as pitcher, and center fielder, Donovan Casey, who doesn't show such valiant support for the pretzel gang and has said rather bitterly, “I started the pretzel gang when my mother originally brought them for me and I so generously shared with teammates, I’m the leader.”

It looks like there's a split between the team, pro-pretzel and anti-pretzel.