Chris Davis: “I’d Like to Give Up” Smokeless Tobacco

With the untimely passing of former San Diego Padre Tony Gwynn this month, a lot of attention has been drawn to the use of smokeless tobacco in baseball. As O’s fans, we see guys like Nick Markakis and Chris Davis using it, and we are left wondering “why?”

However, we have to remember that “dip,” as with all tobacco products, is a physiological addiction. As anybody who has ever tried to – or tried to help a family member – quit smoking knows, simply being aware of the risks isn’t enough to break the addiction in most cases.

Last week, former major leaguer (and Oriole) Eric Byrnes wrote a great piece on his blog about his own personal battle with addiction to chewing tobacco. I highly recommend you check it out HERE.

A snippet:

I took my first chaw of Red Man tobacco when I was 12 years old. I took my first dip of Copenhagen when I was 16. By the time I was 22 and playing professional baseball, I began chewing nearly a can a day. When I woke up in the morning, I would have a cup of coffee, then put in a dip. After breakfast, I would put in a dip. After my workout, I would put in a dip. After Lunch, I would put in a dip. When I got to the ballpark, I would put in a dip. During batting practice, I would put in a dip. When the game started, I would put in a dip. After each at bat, I would put in a dip. On the way home from the ballpark, I would put in a dip. What started as something I would do to pass time turned into a full blown addiction. To this day, chewing tobacco is the only thing I have ever encountered in my life that I had absolutely no control over. In a sense, I was helpless.

The Baltimore Sun caught up with Davis at his locker today and the slugger gave a lengthy interview about his use of tobacco. It’s a very open, honest discussion, and you really have to commend Davis for addressing what is very likely a touchy subject head on.

Take a few minutes and watch…

c/o Kevin Richardson and The Baltimore Sun