Don't knock it 'til you try it: Five Toed Sox

Hey! Those are Alex Cora's toe-socks. (Photo from NY Times)

We learned during spring training that Japanese pitchers, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, wear five-toed socks. This piece of information was dismissed as a "notable and mildly interesting cultural difference." Today we learn from David Picker of the New York Times that several other Red Sox players have jumped on the five-toed sock bandwagon:

"The socks, which fit like a glove with each toe individually encased, were met with curiosity in Boston’s clubhouse during spring training. Before long, Matsuzaka began offering pairs to anyone who expressed an interest. And a number of players did, including Mike Lowell, Alex Cora and Doug Mirabelli, who are now playing in them regularly. Looking for a reason for Boston’s great start to the season? Maybe it is the socks."

The Captain is a holdout:

"Jason Varitek said he has never worn five-toed socks and sees no reason to try them now. “I don’t know why,” Varitek said with a shrug. “I just don’t like the toes separated.”

This is a curious phenomenon. Alex Cora's batting average is 95 points higher than last season, Lowell's is up 49 points, Mirabelli's 12. Perhaps they are on to something? It might be time to pick up a pair of toe-socks for "research" to analyze the effect of toe separation on job performance. Just sayin'.

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