Food - Drink
The Odd Connection Between Pickle Brine And The New York Mets
By KALEA MARTIN
Pickle brine has plenty of other uses beyond preserving vegetables; some cooks add a splash of brine to fried chicken batter or mix it into cocktails for a kick of flavor. However, back in 1968, the New York Mets used pickle brine for a reason you'll never guess.
Mets pitchers once used pickle brine, AKA "Mets pitching juice," to soak their hands before baseball games, in order to toughen their skin and prevent blisters. This idea came from the team's coach, Gus Mauch, and pitcher Nolan Ryan even earned the nickname "Pickle Brine Ryan" since he used the brine religiously throughout his career.
However, with the passage of time comes new, more modern solutions, and the Mets no longer use pickle juice as a blister remedy. In 2017, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson shared that pitchers now use Super Glue — a substance that sounds just as unconventional as pickle brine.