Stephen Strasburg is also done with chewing tobacco
By Hayden Kane
Washington Nationals’ starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg says that he is done with chewing tobacco.
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Like Addison Reed before him, Strasburg was motivated to make the decision by the death of his beloved former coach Tony Gwynn. Here is how he described the decision to MLB.com:
"“I think it’s a disgusting habit, looking back on it,” the Nationals right-hander said on Monday. “I was pretty naive when I started. Just doing it here and there, I didn’t think it was going to be such an addiction. … Bottom line is, I want to be around for my family. This is something that can affect people the rest of your life. [Chewing tobacco is] so prevalent in this game. It’s something we all kind of grew up doing.”"
“Looking back on it,” Strasburg says. That makes it sound like the habit is firmly behind him, officially a thing of the past. And maybe that’s the case, but if it is, Strasburg is playing under a different set of rules when it comes to the passage of time. Note the following:
"Strasburg, who was chewing tobacco while discussing the subject on Monday, said he started chewing tobacco long before he started playing for Gwynn, and that he didn’t know the former Padres icon dipped."
So he was looking back on his disgusting habit…while partaking in that habit.
That is not to take away from this decision from Strasburg. He deserves credit for recognizing the need to stop, and here’s hoping he is able to stick to it and move on for his long-term health.