“If you cut that big slob in half,
most of the concessions at Yankee Stadium would
come pouring out.” ~ Pitcher
Waite Hoyt on teammate Babe Ruth
The Baseball Reliquary travels to Pomona,
California with an exhibition entitled
“Culinary Baseball: Dishing Up The National
Pastime,” to be presented at the Pomona Public
Library, 625 S. Garey Ave., from March 3-April
25, 2003.
The exhibition will explore the historic
relationship between food and baseball. Food and
beverages have been a big part of the fun at
baseball games since the mid-19th century. In
the first decade of professional baseball, fans
could enjoy an array of food, including peanuts,
soft drinks, Cracker Jack, ice cream, cherry
pie, cheese, chocolates, planked onions, and
even tripe. At first, vendors moved through the
crowd hawking food and drinks, but by 1875
concession stands became common at ballparks,
making the culinary aspect of going to a
ballgame big business.
The exhibition, which will feature
photographs, artifacts, and artworks from
private collections as well as the Baseball
Reliquary, includes: the Walter
O’Malley Tortilla, a flour
tortilla which bears a remarkable likeness to
former Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley and which
was discovered in 1959 by Mrs. Regina Flores, a
resident of Chavez Ravine; the Dave Bresnahan Potato, which was
disguised as a baseball and thrown by former
minor league catcher Dave Bresnahan in 1987 in
one of the classic stunts in baseball history;
and the Babe Ruth Hot Dog, the
remains of a hot dog partially consumed by the
Sultan of Swat in 1925 when he underwent surgery
for an intestinal abscess caused by overeating
(sometimes called “The Bellyache Heard Round
the World”).
Also to be exhibited are Orange
Crate Label paintings by Ben Sakoguchi,
depicting Steve Bilko, Pete Gray, Jim Abbott,
Casey Stengel, and others; Mickey Mantle’s
Country Cookin’ Restaurant dinnerware; trading
cards issued to promote food products; and
menus, napkins, and matchbooks from restaurants
owned by former ballplayers. A display
highlighting the career of baseball’s
legendary “Peanut Man,” Roger Owens, who has
tossed well over two million bags of peanuts in
his 45 years as a vendor at Dodger Stadium, will
also be on view.
Pomona Public Library hours are Monday
through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Friday
and Saturday from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM; closed
Sunday.
For further information, contact the
Pomona Public Library Reference Desk at (909)
620-2043 ext. 476 or the Baseball Reliquary at
(626) 791-7647. The Baseball Reliquary is
supported in part by a grant from the Los
Angeles County Arts Commission.
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