Big League Chew facts for kids
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Outta' Here Original variety Big League Chew
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| Owner | Ford Gum |
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| Introduced | May 1980 |
| Previous owners | Wrigley Company |
| Tagline | "The Hall of Fame Bubble Gum" |
Big League Chew is a popular American bubble gum brand. It was created to look like the chewing tobacco that baseball players often used. This fun gum was invented by Rob Nelson, a left-handed pitcher for the Portland Mavericks, and Todd Field, who was a bat boy for the team and later became a filmmaker.
Another Maverick player, Jim Bouton, who was a former All-Star for the New York Yankees, helped present the idea to the Wrigley Company. Wrigley, known for owning the Chicago Cubs, liked the idea of a safe and healthy alternative to chewing tobacco for baseball players. Big League Chew first came out in May 1980. It was originally the classic pink color, just like other well-known bubble gums. The cool cartoon packaging, designed by artist Bill Mayer, comes in many bright colors, like neon green for sour apple and bright purple for grape.
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How Big League Chew Started
The idea for Big League Chew came from Rob Nelson and Todd Field. They wanted to create a bubble gum that looked like chewing tobacco but was safe and fun. The very first samples of the shredded gum were made by running regular sheets of bubble gum through an office paper shredder! This shows how creative they were in the beginning.
Todd Field, who is now a famous actor and director, was involved in making the first versions of the gum. However, he was not part of the final business deal with the Wrigley Company.
Where Big League Chew is Made
Big League Chew is currently made in the United States by the Ford Gum & Machine Company. Their factory is located in Akron, New York. Ford Gum took over making the gum from Wrigley and moved its production from Mexico at the end of 2010.
Big League Chew's Success
Big League Chew has been very successful. In April 2023, Rob Nelson, one of the inventors, announced that over one billion pouches of Big League Chew had been sold around the world! That's a lot of gum!
This bubble gum is also the official bubble gum of the Baseball Hall of Fame. This means it has a special connection to baseball history. In 2023, Big League Chew also announced a new partnership with USA Baseball, showing its continued support for the sport.
The main office for Big League Chew is in Rochester, NY.
External links
- Official site: https://www.bigleaguechew.com
- Interview with Rob Nelson, co-inventor of Big League Chew
- Discussion with Nelson about Big League Chew
