I must ask this and this seems as good a place as any: it appears Glaus has some chewing tabacco in his cheek. I've noticed players with the spit all over MLB, and on one occasion it appeared to me that an entire team was using it (can't remember which one).

I recall some years ago seeing broadcasts that the message from players was that there were too many health risks with the stuff and it was a horrible practice for young kids to pick up and they would all kick the habit forever. At that time, it nearly disappeared completely. (I'm thinking mid to late-90s.)

In fact, doing a search brough up this article, which details a shift in the Giants clubhouse in 1997.

I had figured it was gone and never to be seen again, and then over recent years noticed it popping back up and wondering if there was some new form that did not have as many health risks. Now it seems to be enormously commonplace. Perhaps I missed something over the years, or maybe this is an interesting story.

Any answers out there?

I was wondering if it was tobacco or just gum.  The frame I shot after this is Glaus spitting, and the trail is clear, not brown.

I don't think those are sunflower seeds (though I've noticed players with them often) and I don't believe he's munching on a Toblerone.

But the puffed-out cheek look around the majors is unmistakable. Perhaps there is some safe substitute that is most popular. But I'd like to know.

And here it says Helton is swearing off the stuff again after his recent health troubles.

At the bottom of this page, it says in 1991, minor league baseball banned the use of smokeless tobacco at the rookie level and in 1993 extended the ban throughout all of minor leagues. I presume this is still in effect.

At the time, I recall Lenny Dykstra was the only visible user identified in the major leagues and he was close to retiring. He was also beginning to suffer many problems with his health and condition of his mouth that were attributed to his habit.

Perhaps there is a reason I shouldn't have a sense of pity every time I see a player with an enlarged cheek, but if there is I'd like to know. It's getting really distracting for me to watch any baseball.

If I understand it correctly, there are still quite a few players who use dip, but it's very low-key (just like players who smoke).  A lot of the players who used to use dip now use big wads of chewing gum or other such stuff.  If you see a guy spitting brown stuff, it doesn't necessarily mean it's tobacco; licorice is (I am told) pretty popular.  You'll have a hard time finding a player who says he uses it because of the image (and role model) implications.

Tobacco is a stimulant so it's easy to see why players still want to use it.  Snuff in particular gives a real kick.  Plus, with a dip you've always got something to spit on the umpire's shoes.

For the record:

1 for 3, with a walk, a home run, two runs batted in and two runs scored.

Perhaps I should compile these numbers and extrapolate Photo of the Day's batting average, on-base and slugging percentages?

I think the practice of chewing tobacco is still prevalent.  Sometimes the boys use something called pinch (i think.  my dad told me) which just sits in the front lip next to the teeth, and it mellows them out and gives them a fix.  Varitek uses it, and probably a lot of others do too. It isn't visible. AJ hawking his chunk of chew on the field was grosser to me than him giving up two homeruns to Konerko in his first start. (well, maybe not, but still gross.)  I hope it is gum, Troy, my boy.  Cavities are nicer than mouth cancer.

The grossest story my dad told me was about the guy he used to play with who used to mix a bunch of black licorice in with his chew to hold it together.  It made a tar that ran down his chin. Yummy.