The pink treat
If you’ve sat close to the dugouts, especially at AA and AAA games, did you ever wonder why so many players chewed bubble gum? Some are purists and solely chew the sweet gob. Some mix their pink delight with chewing tobacco. That makes for a real ugly wad in their mouth! Nonetheless, it’s popular and some like it.
Father and daughter baseball fans
In the mid 60’s, my father and I enjoyed baseball together. We followed the Milwaukee Braves and Minnesota Twins. Both teams had a player we admired – Hank Aaron and Harmon Killebrew. When my father played in our hometown game, I would earn $.50 cents by playing the national anthem and favored melodies on my mother’s Hammond organ my father trekked to the ballfield those Sunday game days. That $.50 cents I earned paid for a pack of gum, bag of popcorn and a bottle of Pepsi Cola, leaving a nickel leftover. Back then that was a deal!
Remember this song?
That was also the era when we sang along to this hit song playing on the radio, “Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight”. I can’t say I remember the words beyond the first chorus, but it was fun, nonetheless.
You will find yourself singing along.
Meeting an admirable referent
A decade later, I was fortunate to meet Hank “Hammer” Aaron . It was April 21, 1974, top of the 7th inning, when Hammer hit his 717th homerun against the Houston Astros in the Astrodome. While the entire crowd gave him a standing ovation, he graciously acknowledged this achievement. While we kept cheering, Hank walked over to where a handful of us active-duty folks in uniform were cheering. I will never forget the impression it made! He greeted us with warmth, autographed all tickets and chatted with us. Above all else, a sportsman worthy of admiration.
Long ago I lost the baseball cards that accompanied that juicy pink bubble maker. And, of course, the Bazooka Joe comics came in handy when it was time to throw away the tasteless wad for a fresh piece. While Hank holds second place in overall homeruns, throughout his baseball career, he carried himself with grace, never losing sight of sportsmanship.
Bubblegum and baseball
The playoffs begin October 15th. Watch the league playoffs wherever you land. Baseball remains America’s favorite pastime.
Read the edited article published October 1, 2021 here: Remember Bazooka Joe comics, bubblegum and baseball cards? The World Series brings back memories – RV Travel
Kate Doherty has been writing for more than 30 years in technical and general media. In her previous business, she and her spouse dealt with special projects within the military/government sector. Recently she published “Masquerade: A Logan Scott Novel” under the pen name Bryan Alexander, a thriller now available in eBook and paperback on Amazon. It’s a page-turner!