With a World Series winless streak tracing to 1908 and injuries piling up, maybe it's no surprise that Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker is taking drastic steps.

Baker is rubbing holy water on the injured parts of Cubs players, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.

Baker isn't Catholic, but he is a religious man who is open to all sorts of ideas. So when Cubs public relations manager Sharon Pannozzo brought Baker some holy water that had been blessed by Pope John Paul II four months ago, the Cubs manager leapt to action, the newspaper reported.

"It's about as close to holy medicine as you can get," Baker said, the newspaper reported.

"It's not like it's voodoo or something," the manager also said.

"It's blessed. I didn't bless it. It wouldn't work if I blessed it. I just hope that my sinning doesn't negate the effectiveness of the water."

Baker poured some water on Cubs starter Mark Prior's injured right elbow during spring training, the newspaper reported. Prior is starting Wednesday against the Padres.

Prior didn't object to the treatment, the newspaper reported, and outfielder Corey Patterson seemed to welcome it.

"That's why we have a fun team," Patterson said, the newspaper reported. "Everyone has their own little superstitions or whatever. That's why the world is made of different people. You get to meet different people and see different attitudes and have fun. If everyone was the same, it would be boring. That's why I like this team."

Baker's tactics may follow in an odd tradition for the Cubs. Last season, outfielder Moises Alou, now with the Giants, urinated on his hands to heal calluses and blisters.

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