Bubble Gum has been a big part of the game of baseball for decades. Nothing like chomping on a big chunk of gum and taking part in one of America’s favorite past times. Baseball has been one of this country's oldest and most beloved sports and no one is denying that. But when it comes to baseball and major league sports all around, there is a lack of representation for one particular group: women.
But leave it to the good folks at Ford Gum to make sure that their products would not lack female representation. In 2019, Big League Chew made history being the first bubble gum to exclusively feature female athletes on their wrapper.
Big League Chew is also the official gum of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame! So it was about time that they gave the girls a spotlight.
In 2020, the tradition continues as the latest flavor, Slammin’ Strawberry, reaches out to little girls and women alike to show that even though sports ground to a halt during the pandemic, female athletes still deserve their proverbial time in the sun!
I love sitting down, washing down some good food with a cold beer, and watching any Pittsburgh team compete with the best (sorry Homefield bias). But it is interesting to think about the women who have also made baseball and other great sports even greater. We don’t hear about them often, so let’s highlight some bada*$ women that have made their mark in the sports world.
Dottie Schroeder (a league of their own reference)
Since we are talking about Big League Chew, let's start with an iconic female baseball player, Dottie Schroeder. Being arguably the best player in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, which ran from 1943-1954, Dottie excelled at shortstop and was the youngest player to ever enter the league. She held records for most games played and most RBI’s. Playing the entire nine years that the league existed, she made a name for herself and will always be remembered. She was even the inspiration for the main character in the 1992 film, A League of Their Own. There is no crying in baseball!
Serena Williams
One of the best tennis players of the Open Era goes to Serena Williams. She holds multiple records including having twenty-three Grand Slam singles titles which stand as the most tournament wins in the Open era. Williams receives plenty of backlash from the media, but always shoots back with her skill and drive to excel at what she does. She is an inspiration to all female athletes everywhere.
Danica Patrick
Next up we take things to the open road with Danica Patrick. When it comes to American open-wheel racing, Patrick will go down in history as the greatest woman to ever do it. She set milestones for women in the racing world including being the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race at the Japan Indy in 2008. Although she didn’t have as much success as critics expected, there is no denying that her impact on the sport was major.
Simone Biles
She can flip, she can bend and she can stick it. Simone Biles, at only 24, is the most decorated American gymnast. She has 25 Olympic and world championship medals and is a force to be reckoned with. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Biles proved to the world that she is one of the best by setting the US record for the most gold medals won in women’s gymnastics during a single Olympics.
Candace Parker
The WNBA is almost always overshadowed by the men, but maybe it is time to start paying attention so you don’t miss out on athletes like Candace Parker. She was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA game and the second to dunk in a WNBA game. She led the Los Angeles Sparks to their first championship since 2002 in 2016 and has also been named MVP twice. With hops like hers and a love for the game, there is no doubting that Parker should be a recognizable name in the game of basketball.
Sarah Fuller
When talking about female representation in sports, there is one sport in general that is really lacking, and that is American Football. But Sarah Fuller didn’t let that hold her back. At 21 years of age, she became the first woman to play in a Power-5 match, which is the highest level of American college football. Fuller kicks for the Vanderbilt Commodores and has made history while still being so young. She wants to continue showing young women that anything is possible and is the perfect role model for female athletes everywhere.
Our motto may be "Candy is what we DELIVER but service is what we SELL," but having been around for close to 100 years, we LOVE candy history and the inspiration behind many of the iconic products that we sell!
