Our intern, Marc, whom you met yesterday, was inspired to write a blog entry on baseball and candy. He even strong-armed Tori, our resident sports nut, into letting him cover this issue. A true Yankees fan, we know which way Marc is leaning for this series, but he does a good job not bringing baseball politics into the discussion. Yesterday was Marc’s last day in our department, so next week somebody else gets to ride him like a rented mule. Good times, Marc. Read on:
Ah, the end of October, the happiest time of year in the candy world. The day before Halloween is like black Friday in the candy industry, it just so happens that this year, the date actually falls on a Friday. But Halloween is not the only thing on the mind of us candy lovers.
Like everybody else out there, the World Series has us hooked. But luckily, we don’t have to choose between the two. There are many ways to combine candy and baseball. The two have been related since early in the 20th century. From cotton candy to Cracker Jacks, players today still love their candy.
This year New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi decided he wanted to replace the candy in the dugout with nuts and granola bars. This didn’t stop the Yankees players, as they were caught smuggling the forbidden stuff (candy bars, not steroids) into the clubhouse.
Candy has been a part of the World Series as well. After Babe Ruth called his shot in the 1932 World Series, the Curtiss Candy Company installed an illuminated Baby Ruth Candy Bar sign in the spot in center field where the Bambino had hit this historic home run. The sign lasted at Wrigley Field for the next four decades. In the 1970’s, New York Yankee’s All-Star and World Series hero Jim Bouton decided he wanted to create a fun-alternative to chewing tobacco. He pitched the idea of Big League Chew, a shredded bubble gum, to the Wrigley Company, aiding in its creation and adding to the popularity of candy in baseball.
The fun combination does not have to remain in the depths of baseball history. You can help continue the legacy of candy in baseball by combining them both. Celebrate the World Series and Halloween in your own way. You can go trick-or-treating as your favorite Yankees player. Or you can collect your candy in a Phillies candy bucket.
What candies delight your palate while watching the big game?
Baseball Game Candy by niallkennedy.
2:35 pm on October 30th, 2009
Great post, Marc. Thanks for your help this month!
11:14 am on November 2nd, 2009
Baseball has a great tradition with candy. Whatever happened to Reggie Bars?
And don’t forget the old Montreal Expos fans throwing Oh Hentry bars on the field whenever Henry Rodrigues hit a home run.
3:09 pm on November 2nd, 2009
Montreal Expos? Surely you mean the Washington Nationals!
The Reggie Bar – that was pretty good as I recall. I imagine they changed the name after Reggie Jackson was caught in some drug scandal. Wasn’t he busted for possession of something other than steroids?