Big League Chew
Big League Chew is a brand of bubble gum that is shredded and packaged in an aluminum foil pouch. It was created by Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher Rob Nelson and bat boy Todd Field then pitched to the Wrigley Company by fellow Maverick and former New York Yankee All-Star Jim Bouton as a fun imitation of the tobacco-chewing habit common among ballplayers in the 1970s. Over 800 million pouches of Big League Chew have been sold since 1980. Big League Chew was introduced in May 1980, in the traditional pink color already seen in established brands of bubble gum. The cartoony packaging, originally designed by artist Bill Mayer, comes in flashy colors such as neon green and bright purple.
Currently, it is manufactured in the US by Ford Gum & Machine Company in Akron, NY, after taking over distribution rights from Wrigley and moving production from Mexico at the end of 2010.
The original advertising slogan throughout the 1980s, which is still featured today, was, "You're in the big leagues when you're into Big League Chew!" It currently bills itself as "The Hall of Fame Bubble Gum," bearing an official endorsement from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
