The Christian Post ran an article by Rachael Zoll about religious superstitions in baseball:
For 10 years, they were a lousy team with a fiendish nickname: the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Then the club exorcised the “Devil” from its name, and suddenly Tampa Bay is in the World Series.
Was it the hitting, the pitching, the coaching — or the hand of God?
…Belief that dark forces are at work in all facets of life runs throughout many religions. And even though theologians universally will tell you that God takes no rooting interest in sports, fans often manage to find signs of damnation and redemption everywhere — particularly in baseball.
Read the full article here, and read essays on the religious and ritual dimensions of sports in The Immanent Frame discussion, “Games people play.”