Minnesota Twins Pitcher Ryan O'Rourke Vomits Before Taking the Mound

As far as pregame rituals go, Minnesota Twins reliever Ryan O'Rourke's takes the cake...and then throws it up.

Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel recently admitted that he used to drink vodka before starts to help with his anxiety. O'Rourke doesn't go that far to help calm his nerves, but he did reveal to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press on Tuesday that he has formed a nervous habit through the years before entering a game.

The 28-year-old pitcher vomits. Literally.

Per Berardino, when O'Rourke was a starter in the minors, the grounds crew used to be prepared to change the trash bag before games started by the southpaw. As he has shifted to the bullpen and through the system, that little ritual has followed.

"It just happens," said O'Rourke, who has made 54 appearances for the Twins over the last two seasons. "I'm pretty pumped up out there. I think everything is culminating as I'm getting ready for my big moment, whether it's energy or what. I like the competitive aspect. I think this is just a way for me to release a little bit of my nerves."

For those fans who (weirdly) hope to get a peek at the releasing of the, um, jitters, don't get your hopes up.

"I don't do it in the public's eye," O'Rourke. "I go in the bathroom, or sometimes it's just on the back of the mound. But, yeah, it happens."

No matter how many games they pitch in the big leagues, professional athletes are still human. They can get butterflies in their stomach just like the rest of us. It's up to the athlete to figure out a way to handle the matter, and O'Rourke has found something that works for him, even if it is a bit rough.