Sports fans are superstitious people — especially during games. Some wear the same shirt to bring their team luck, others sit in the same seat. Fans like to think whatever they are doing in the stands or at home has a direct impact on the game.
One White Sox fan might be right about having an impact on the game.
Rob Holt, a lifelong White Sox fan, worked some voodoo magic to help Chicago win on Sunday. The White Sox were down 3-1 in Game 3 of the ALDS — an elimination game for the home team — until Holt directed his wooden cane and told the player to hit the ball into left field.
Coincidence or not, the player then hit the ball into left field. The 71-year-old did the same thing for the next batter and once again, it worked.
It started as something funny, but then turned into a tradition during the game. Now, just call him “Cane Guy.”
Here’s what Holt Cane Guy told the Chicago Sun-Times about it all:
“It’s just totally ridiculous. He did [what I told him]. My son says, ‘He’s Gandalf!’ And that started the whole thing … I actually think it’s pretty funny because of how ridiculous it is that people grabbed on to this thing and ran with it. But if it’s part of the festival of the playoffs, then that’s just great.”
The section Holt was sitting in soon rallied along with him, encouraging him to use his cane and tell hitters what to do. He was shown on the broadcast several times and even the White Sox PR team caught wind of his sorcery, offering him tickets to Game 4.
Holt’s cane is used to help with his sprained knee, but it seems to have another job as well now: helping the White Sox win. While Holt was a good sport and went along with the “special powers” of the cane, he doesn’t actually think it had any impact on the game.
But still, Chicago went on to win 12-6 and Holt says if anything the team was assisted by the electric crowd. The 30-year ticket holder said it was the most energetic crowd he’s seen.
“There was a buzz when you got into your seats … it was just incredible. I mean, I’ve never felt anything like that in a ballpark, ever,” Holt said. “It was really a fun night, everybody was dressed in black. There’s hardly any Astro [fans] there at all. And it was just a great evening. Everybody was so upbeat and just happy and the Sox played really well — outside their starting pitcher.”
Holt, along with his magic cane, will be at Game 4 on Wednesday to see if the cane has any powers left.
