Tobacco has been part of baseball as long as anyone can remember. However, in the Windy City, that will no longer be the case.
Chicago has banned smokeless tobacco at sports venues, which will go into effect during the upcoming baseball season. That will, of course, have an impact on White Sox and Cubs home games. For many players, it will be a huge adjustment as tobacco has become part of their game day routine. Among those who will have to learn to cope is Cubs catcher Miguel Montero.
“It’s going to be hard because you’re an addict, pretty much,” Montero said via ESPN. “It’ll be tough to quit cold turkey. Hopefully (this) will help me to quit.”
While the ban can be seen as a good thing for obvious health reasons, it may create a few irritable players.
“I’ll probably be a little bit moody,” Montero joked. “I’m going to do my best to try and not use it.”
Two years ago, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who was a longtime tobacco user, passed away at the age of 54. In the wake of his death, Addison Reed and Stephen Strasburg both stopped using the product.
Obviously, it’s a different circumstance that may ultimately lead to Miguel Montero no longer using smokeless tobacco. That said, if it causes the Cubs catcher to quit, it may do the same for others.
