Now 70, Nelson's legacy is the invention of Big League Chew: a pouch of stringy bubblegum that mimics the chewing tobacco once ubiquitous in Major League Baseball games. It was created by Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher Rob Nelson and bat boy Todd Field then pitched to the Wrigley Company (longtime owners of the Chicago Cubs) by fellow Maverick and former New York Yankee All-Star Jim Bouton as a fun imitation of the tobacco-chewinghabit common among ballplayers in the 1970s. One brand, Big League Chew, became famous over the years for its baseball-centric packaging, and it turns out its creator, former Independent Leagues pitcher Rob Nelson, came up with the idea on a whim while sitting in the bullpen for his team. Founded by former left-handed pitcher Rob “Nellie” Nelson, Big League Chew started from humble beginnings in the Portland Mavericks bullpen in 1977. Eventually, Wrigley absorbed Amurol, and Nelson bought out Bouton, but neither of those changes was nearly as significant as when Mars Inc. purchased Wrigley in 2008. Enjoy Big League Chew Outta’ Here Original Bubble Gum Flavor in the official Team Rally Bucket. He said, 'I can sell that idea.' "Dan said that we couldn't patent [the idea], but we could certainly protect it with trademarks and copyrights and so forth," says Nelson. "And Dan was absolutely right.". For more than 40 years, the iconic pouches packed with shredded, flavorful bubble gum have become the preferred chewing gum for all ages having sold more than 800 million pouches to date. It was 1980, it did $18 million in sales. One obstacle remained: Neither Nelson nor Bouton knew how to make gum. Nelson had his best season with the Big Red as a senior, going 6-2, with his only losses coming against Big 10 champion Michigan State and EIBL champion Harvard. The addition of Big League Chew has brought roughly 20 new jobs to the western New York plant and will increase Ford's production by about 40 percent. As Big League Chew spread into Little League dugouts across the country, Nelson continued to pitch all over the world. For more than 40 years, the iconic pouches packed with shredded, flavorful bubble gum have become the preferred chewing gum for all ages having sold more than 800 million pouches to date. Big League Chew founder Rob Nelson blows a bubble during the 2018 Sweets & Snacks Expo on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, at McCormick Place, in Chicago, Ill. Nelson … Photo by Lane Stewart/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images. Big League Chew was a pink shredded gum that was invented in 1980 by former baseball player Rob Nelson as a chewing tobacco substitute. It is the "must-have bubblegum for ballplayers of all ages. ". (Approximately 35 min play time.) A long, long time ago, Rob Nelson, “Nellie” to his friends, invented this stuff, and gave it its name — Big League Chew. Nelson wanted to move production back to the United States (in recent years it had been manufactured in Mexico) so he purchased the gum shredding and packaging machines from Wrigley and discovered the small company Ford Gum and Machine, based in Akron, N.Y. Rob has 3 jobs listed on their profile. Attendees will also learn more about the Museum's on-site Kids Discovery Tour, sponsored by Big League Chew. "Nothing goes better than bubble gum, which is why we are thrilled to team up with our friends at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum," said Rob Nelson, inventor of Big League Chew. I thought I was going to have a teaching job and coach baseball somewhere. "I was over the moon," he says. Seeing Bouton's reaction, Nelson shared an idea that had stemmed from childhood. As Sheinin's story notes, Nelson is now a 66-year-old father of three who works on behalf of Big League Chew and its current producer and distributor, Ford Gum of New York. For more than 35 years, the iconic pouches packed with shredded, flavorful bubble gum have become the preferred chewing gum for all ages having sold more than 800 million pouches to date. ... And on a handshake, we became partners.". Then it turned out to be 10 times that!". Amurol sold $18 million of Big League Chew at wholesale that first year, a number that well exceeded Nelson's wildest dreams. Founder and inventor of Big League Chew, Rob Nelson, and Founder and President of Bettinardi Golf, Robert J. Bettinardi, teamed up for a limited-edition release combining their two iconic brands. # OnTheStacks Podcast Episode 17 features the story of the iconic shredded bubble gum brand, Big League Chew, told by inventor and former Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher, Rob “Nellie” Nelson. Add to it the fact that one of baseball's most iconic venues is named after a brand of chewing gum, and it's easy to get the sense that gum, itself, is part of the fabric of the game -- a fabric made ever so slightly chewier by the stuff. So he managed to get out of his contract with Wrigley a year early. For former Cornell baseball player Rob Nelson '71, his discovery took two things routinely seen at ballparks, chewing gum and chewing tobacco, and thinking up a product that has stood the test of time for 30 years – Big League Chew. He has plans to take a trip this spring with several friends to Princeton, N.J., to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of his greatest collegiate triumphs -- when he led Cornell to a 2-0 victory, pitching a two-hitter against the Tigers. Big League Chew has sold over 800 million pouches and is considered “the hall of fame bubblegum”. Founded by former left-handed pitcher Rob “Nellie” Nelson, Big League Chew started from humble beginnings in the Portland Mavericks bullpen in 1977. It was first made by the Wrigley Company and is now manufactured by Ford Gum & Machine company. Still Pitching at 40" about Nelson, Bouton and their creation of Big League Chew. Nelson came to Cornell after graduating from Nassau Community College and had his best season with the Big Red as a senior, going 6-2, with his losses … One of his fellow pitchers was 38-year-old Jim Bouton, a former New York Yankee and author of the wildly popular book "Ball Four," charting his experiences with the 1969 Seattle Pilots (that team's only operating season). Big League Chew Bubblegum in Bulk Big League Chew is made by Ford Gum in the USA. Author Jonathan Swift stated: "Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody else has thought.". Nelson's nickname was Nellie, and he was a fan of Hall of Famer Nellie Fox, one of many ballplayers that kept a large wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth while he played. Subscribe & Listen to the […] View Rob Nelson’s profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community. Wrigley Jr. Co., introduced Big League Chew in 1980. For more than 40 years, the iconic pouches packed with shredded, flavorful bubble gum have become the preferred chewing gum for all ages having sold more than 800 million pouches to date. The gum is now owned by Rob Nelson.Big League Chew comes in a foil pouch and comes in four different flavors (original [traditional … CORNELL'S MONTHLYNEWSLETTER FORALUMNI & FRIENDS. by Jen Renehan | Aug 20, 2020 | Corporate, Maroon News, Newsroom, Recent Posts, Social Media. Nelson speaks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the addition of Big League Chew to Akron, N.Y.-based Ford Gum and Machine Nov. 8. Bouton's enthusiasm was one thing, but it took the work of Dan Chernoff, B.E.E. The addition of the gum was expected to increase Ford Gum's overall production by 40 percent. Founded by former left-handed pitcher Rob “Nellie” Nelson, Big League Chew started from humble beginnings in the Portland Mavericks bullpen in 1977. Founded by former left-handed pitcher Rob “Nellie” Nelson, Big League Chew started from humble beginnings in the Portland Mavericks bullpen in 1977. A Nellie Fox baseball card was the inspiration for inventor Rob Nelson to develop Big League Chew, the stringy pink gum packed into a pouch that tastes like … For former Cornell baseball pitcher Rob Nelson '71, his discovery involved seeing two ballpark staples -- chewing gum and chewing tobacco -- and thinking of a way to combine the two into a new product that has stood the test of time for 30 years: Big League Chew. "I told him, 'I always thought it would be cool to have shredded gum so we could look as good as these guys, but not get ill,' says Nelson. Founded by former left-handed pitcher Rob “Nellie” Nelson, Big League Chew started from humble beginnings in the Portland Mavericks bullpen in 1977. Major Leaguers love their bubblegum. "I remember Bouton's eyes got really big, and he said 'Jeez, I really like that idea.' He also wants to do something for Cornell and the baseball program that was so instrumental in getting him where he is today. Nelson eventually sold the idea to the William Wrigley Jr. Company (as in Wrigley Chewing Gum; as in Wrigley Field; as in the Chicago Cubs), who began making Big League Chew at it’s factory in Monterrey, Mexico and, according to Nelson, it continued to average $15 million in sales annually. In the mid-1970s, before inventing Big League Chew, Rob Nelson ran Lil Mavericks youth baseball camps, in association with the Portland Mavericks, the now-defunct minor league baseball team he … ". Here's what he told MLB Network Radio: You can hear the full story in the video up top, which includes a cameo from former Major Leaguer Todd Zeile and a do-it-yourself bubblegum making kit. Featuring Rob Nelson, Inventor of Big League Chew. Outside of baseball Jim Bouton was the co-creator of the gum product Big League Chew. Following graduation from Cornell with a degree in philosophy and after earning a master's in education at SUNY Cortland, Nelson pitched for a few years in South Africa and in 1977 found himself pitching with the Portland Mavericks, an independent Class A minor league baseball team that was made up primarily of has-beens and never-weres. The company crushed in its first year. Amurol Products, a subsidiary of Wrigley, sold $18 million of Big League Chew gum wholesale in its first year. Big League Chew is … The addition of Big League Chew to Ford Gum and Machine's production lines added 20 jobs to the western New York plant. Big League Chew peaked in popularity in the 1980s and … Founded by former left-handed pitcher Rob “Nellie” Nelson, Big League Chew started from humble beginnings in the Portland Mavericks bullpen in 1977. Founder and inventor of Big League Chew, Rob Nelson, and Founder and President of Bettinardi Golf, Robert J. Bettinardi, teamed up for a limited-edition release combining their two iconic brands. Something that would be playful but show my gratitude to the university. One evening, the two pitchers watched in disgust as some of their younger teammates tried to spit tobacco juice on each others' white cleats. '57, LL.B. He called it Big League Chew. A Portland Maverick left hander named Rob Nelson came up with the idea of shredded gum in a pouch, and now 30 years later … Finally, you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.. I like to say that I had the inspiration, but truth is, Jim was the perspiration because he was really the guy that did the bulk of the work. Nelson had met Chernoff that summer at a Cornell Club of Portland cocktail hour. The Power of the Bubble – Inside Big League Chew’s Instagram Success. For more than 40 years, the iconic pouches packed with shredded, flavorful bubble gum have become the preferred chewing gum for all ages having sold more than 800 million pouches to date. '59, a patent and trademark lawyer, to ensure that Big League Chew would have a future. "I remember telling my brother Ed, 'At least now I won't have to paint houses in the summer.' Nelson came to Cornell after graduating from Nassau Community College and had his best season with the Big Red as a senior, going 6-2, with his losses … With the product in hand, the pair went to all the major gum companies, using Bouton's clout to get in the door, but most were reluctant to try a product so unique. So then to think that I wouldn't have to work in the summer because I might make $25,000 or $30,000 extra with the little bubble gum idea was a dream. Other than the new venture with Ford Gum, Nelson spends his days with small projects and inventions, as well as devoting his time to his wife, Sarah, and children, 11-year-old Paige and 7-year-old twins Charlie and Jane. One brand, Big League Chew, became famous over the years for its baseball-centric packaging, and it turns out its creator, former Independent Leagues pitcher Rob Nelson, came up with the idea on a whim while sitting in the bullpen for his team. Life as we know it has been quite different in 2020. Founder and Inventor of Big League Chew, Rob Nelson, and Founder and President of Bettinardi Golf, Robert J. Bettinardi, teamed up for a limited-edition release combining their two iconic brands. He purchased a case and set about making several batches of gum. Sitting in a bullpen one summer night long ago, Rob Nelson came up with a fun new bubble gum idea: shredded gum in … Audio on the flip-flop. "Right now, I'm the unofficial gum of Cornell baseball," says Nelson. The iconic Big League Chew pouch is displayed in the 1980s section of Whole New Ballgame on the Museum’s second floor, detailing the 1980 debut of the bubble gum by inventor Rob Nelson. "But I would love to really help the program and pay tribute to [former] coach Ted Thoren. Founded by former left-handed pitcher Rob “Nellie” Nelson, Big League Chew started from humble beginnings in the Portland Mavericks bullpen in 1977. For more than 35 years, the iconic pouches packed with shredded, flavorful bubble gum have become the preferred chewing gum for all ages having sold more than 800 million pouches to date. "[We] cut it with scissors, bought chewing tobacco pouches, put the gum inside, put my picture on the pouch and called it Big League Chew," Bouton recalled in a recent Chicago Tribune article. I would love for the bullpen to be the Big League Chew bullpen and have a plaque out there that says 'Rob Nelson threw here once; briefly and ineffectively.' Big League Chew is a brand of shredded bubblegum, which until the end of 2010 was sold by the William Wrigley Jr. Company of Chicago. #OnTheStacks Podcast Episode 18 features the story of the iconic shredded bubble gum brand, Big League Chew, told by inventor and former Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher, Rob “Nellie” Nelson. Nelson had often emulated his hero with a log of Bazooka bubble gum. Rob Nelson '71, left, with former New York Yankee Jim Bouton, in a photo that ran in Sports Illustrated in April 1990. The following year in … The photo appeared with an article titled "By Gum! For former Cornell baseball player Rob Nelson '71, his discovery took two things routinely seen at ballparks, chewing gum and chewing tobacco, and thinking up a product that has stood the test of time for 30 years – Big League Chew. With Big League Chew paying his bills, Nelson was able to continue playing into his early 50s in places such as South Africa, Australia and England. A ceremony marking the gum's addition to the company was held Nov. 8. Over 800 million pouches of Big League Chew have been sol… Sitting in a bullpen one summer night long ago, Portland Maverick lefthander Rob Nelson came up with a fun new bubblegum idea: shredded gum in a pouch. Rob Nelson pitches for the Cornell Big Red in 1970. Founded by former left-handed pitcher Rob “Nellie” Nelson, Big League Chew started from humble beginnings in the Portland Mavericks bullpen in 1977. "Sitting in a bullpen one night 25 years ago, Portland Mavericks' lefthander Rob Nelson and Teammate Jim Bouton, the former New York Yankee All-Star, wanted something really different and fun to chew. Finally, Amurol Products, a subsidiary of the Wm. I read an article in People Magazine on how to make your own bubblegum, and I remember telling my dad when we signed the first deal that I think I wouldn't have to paint houses in the summer anymore because this gum might pay for the summers. Big League Chew is a brand of bubble gum that is shredded and packaged in an aluminum foil pouch similar to chewing tobacco. Coincidentally, Nelson stumbled upon an article in January 1979 in People magazine about do-it-yourself bubble gum kits. The now “Hall of Fame Bubble Gum” is celebrating its 40th Anniversary and has sold over 800 million pouches of gum. For former Cornell baseball pitcher Rob Nelson '71, his discovery involved seeing two ballpark staples -- chewing gum and chewing tobacco -- and thinking of a way to combine the two into a new product that has stood the test of time for 30 years: Big League Chew. The now “Hall of Fame Bubble Gum” is celebrating its 40th Anniversary and has sold over 800 million pouches of gum. "I could see the writing on the wall that a small brand like mine wasn't going to be a priority," explains Nelson. It’s the famous ballpark gum for athletes of all ages! So they came up with a great idea - shredded bubble gum in a pouch - and called it Big League Chew. Nelson’s dream turned into Big League Chew and now, with more than 900 million pouches sold, it is part of the baseball landscape. 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