Fansided

The biggest superstition or ritual for each MLB team

By Brad Weiss

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 9: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees delivers the first pitch in the first inning during Game 4 of the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 9: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees delivers the first pitch in the first inning during Game 4 of the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1993: Deion Sanders #21 of the Atlanta Braves signs autographs for fans prior to a Major League Baseball spring training game circa 1993. Sanders played for the Braves from 1991-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1993: Deion Sanders #21 of the Atlanta Braves signs autographs for fans prior to a Major League Baseball spring training game circa 1993. Sanders played for the Braves from 1991-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves: The Tomahawk Chop

In the early 1990s, the Atlanta Braves were of the best teams in baseball and they had the most electrifying athlete in all of sports. Deion Sanders was not only a very serviceable Major League Baseball player, but he was also arguably one of the best cornerbacks to ever play in the NFL.

In 1991, fans of Sanders who saw him play at Florida State, as well as with the Atlanta Falcons, began to use the Tomahawk Chop during Braves games. This was a chant the fans used while watching Sanders play for the Seminoles. For the Braves, it became a rallying cry whenever the team needed a spark.

Starting with Sanders, the Chop took off; fans were soon given foam chops when attending games and their team store became known as the “Chop Shop.” Even today, the tomahawk is a prominent symbol at Braves games, and for the first time in a long time, the team is starting to resemble the winning teams of the 1990s.

Atlanta is fresh off an NL East title in 2018, and has the roster to be right back in the mix of things in 2019. For fans of the team, the chop will always be a part of the lore of the Atlanta Braves, and while it has come under controversy due to Native American groups feeling it is demeaning, it is still a constant at Braves games.

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