Andrew Bailey, Barry Zito Among Major League Baseball Players Who Practice Yoga

While activities such as ballet dancing have long been known to cultivate key skills in football, for instance, yoga is really only not gaining acceptance in major sports — especially in Major League Baseball. The connection between yoga and baseball is substantial. Baseball takes many of the skills — balance, strength, muscle control — that are harbored in yoga, and use of the stretches for athletes in baseball is even big enough to support an industry, according to MLB.com. Matt Repplinger works as a baseball yoga consultant in Denver, Co., who notes that over the last 10 years yoga has become far more prevalent in baseball. “There’s always been the chew-spit mentality in baseball, and I suppose that will always be there,” said Repplinger. “Baseball people can be set in their ways. But it’s growing, and it’s gotten to the point where guys aren’t ashamed to admit that they’re doing it.” It probably isn’t much of a surprise that new-age aficionado Barry Zito practices yoga. But Alex