Notoriously Superstitious Astros Pitcher Justin Verlander Breaks Down His Pregame Meal

The Houston Astros are in the midst of a Lone Star State ALCS, and famously superstitious starting pitcher Justin Verlander gave some insight into his current pregame meal.

I'm always fascinated by pre-game meals. When I was a kid, I couldn't eat too much before playing a game or I'd get sick. Yet, while I had to be super conscious of this, I had teammates who would roll into the locker room with a slice of pizza and some cheese fries, get dressed, and then play like nothing was up.

Unreal.

So, I'm always interested in what the pros pack away before they take the field/ice/court/track/etc.

According to Justin Verlander, these days, he's working with a three-phase pregame meal.

Verland ran through his daily routine during the postseason and said that after getting some rest, he orders food.

"Usually order some food, it's usually a cheeseburger or some variety," he said. Verlander was mum on where he gets his burgers (someone would call that "gatekeeping") but said that it changed, especially depending on how he pitched after eating it.

That makes no sense and all the sense to me at the same time. I get wanting to keep your routine the same. But what if he pitched a perfect game after eating some rancid-ass excuse for a burger? Does he keep going back to lousy burgers and trying to choke them down in hopes of recapturing the magic?

Well, we may never know, but we do know that before the burger, Verlander throws down a chicken Caeser salad. That's smart. It gives off the illusion of being health-conscious.

Then he said before arriving at the stadium he hits up Starbucks.

Burgers, fibrous vegetables, and coffee? Whoever looks after the Astros bathroom facilities needs a raise.

Verlander Used To Be Even More Superstitious

While Verlander's routine seems consistent, he said it's a far cry from where he once was on the superstition front.

"I used to have a lot more little quirks and stuff," he explained. "I mean, I used to leave the plate out and nobody was allowed to clean it up.

"I don't know for what I'm must've been running late for one game or something and left the plate out and had a really good game. So that stuck around for a while."

Verlander chalked his decline in superstitious-ness up to his daughter,

"I really try to just enjoy the time with her before I come to the field and it's a pleasant distraction from what's to come,"

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