# Bizarre Pregame Meals How Philadelphia's Phillies Prepare for the World Series By Marissa Brassfield | Published 2008-10-24 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/world-series-phillies References: [philly](http://www.philly.com/inquirer/food/20081023_Feeding_the_Phils.html) Professional baseball players are infamous for their superstitions, and at no time is this made more apparent than during the World Series. Today’s [Philadelphia Inquirer](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/philadelphia-phillies) takes a look at some of the more bizarre culinary rituals of top Phillies players. For example, Ryan Howard eats a tuna fish sandwich with honey on game day. And Chase Utley and So Taguchi both prefer to prepare for World Series games--as well as every other game during the season--with old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The Philadelphia Inquirer interviewed Joe Swanhart, the Phillies’ team cook, who revealed that the team kitchen contains just about every low-fat food possible. Swanny even got Shane Victorino off of Spam musubi--a local Hawaiian favorite that is basically Spam sushi--well in time for the World Series. Victorino drinks a strawberry smoothie with soy milk in its place. While time will tell if the Phillies’ eating habits will lead to a first-place finish in the World Series, one thing’s for sure: They’re not taking any risks otherwise. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.0/10 - Popularity: 20% | Activity: 2% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Superstitious Rituals:** Exploring the bizarre culinary rituals of professional baseball players during the World Series offers opportunities for innovative products and services that cater to athletes' superstitions. - **Health-conscious Cuisine:** The emphasis on low-fat and healthy food options in the team kitchen presents a chance for the food industry to offer nutritious pregame meals tailored to athletes' dietary needs. - **Alternative Snacks:** The substitution of old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for traditional pregame meals highlights a market gap for convenient and nutritious snacks that can fuel athletes effectively. ### Who This Affects Most - **Sports Nutrition:** The sports nutrition industry can capitalize on providing specialized pregame meals tailored to athletes' specific dietary requirements and rituals. - **Food and Beverage:** Food and beverage companies have an opportunity to develop innovative products that cater to the unique tastes and preferences of professional athletes during major sporting events. - **Superstition Products:** Entrepreneurs can tap into the market for products and services that cater to the superstitious rituals of athletes, such as lucky pregame meals, charms, or talismans. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Baseball Star-Inspired Sandwiches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grand-salami-by-derek-jeter.md) - [Baseball-Inspired Energy Drinks Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/philadelphia-phillies.md) - [Baseball-Inspired Cocktails](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/baseball-inspired-cocktails.md) - [Hot Dog-Themed Baseball Fan Merch](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/canadian-baseball-fans.md) - [Baseball Player-Approved Refreshments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/workout-drinks.md) - [Outfielder-Approved Burger Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kerry-bonds-meal.md) - [Meaty Baseball Team Pizzas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chitown-pizza.md) - [Branded Youth Baseball Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/perfect-game.md) - [Baseball-Themed Ice Creams](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/schnucks-cherry-cardinals-crunch-ice-cream.md)