I bet there's at least one reader of this blog that enjoys an Oh, Henry! or Baby Ruth candy bar as a guilty pleasure. It has been said in baseball circles that such treats were named after home run hitters Henry Aaron and Babe Ruth.  (Whether baseball has it right is another story.)

Then there's the story of the Reggie! bar...

Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson was born May 18, 1946. He was dubbed "Mr. October" due to his clutch hitting in the postseason. Jackson is an ex- American Major League Baseball right fielder, and he played for four different teams from the year 1967 to 1987. Currently, he's serving as a special advisor to the New York Yankees.

Jackson was a major help in bagging World Series titles. He did that as a member of the Oakland A's in the early 70s. And then again in the late 70s, he helped win two consecutive titles with the New York Yankees. He became a Hall of Famer by the year 1993. He currently lives in Carmel, California.

In 1976 while playing in Baltimore, Jackson stated, "If I played in New York, they'd name a candy bar after me."

In response, Standard Brands had a circular "bar" made with peanuts dipped in caramel and then chocolate-covered.  It was initially called the Wayne Bun, given that it was made in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

But they renamed it, and then, at the Yankees' home opener of the '78 season, on April 13 playing against the Chicago White Sox, the fans had a sweet treat, the "Reggie!" bar.

These candy bars were given to fans as they entered the Yankee Stadium. Jackson happened to hit a home run, and when he went back to right field the next inning, the baseball fans started throwing the Reggie bars on the field as a celebratory gesture. Jackson later said to the press that such gesture got him confused. He thought the fans disapproved of the candy. The Yankees won the game, 4-2.

Try your luck. Be awesome, and you might just have a candy bar named after you. You never know!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

Latest posts by Joanna Maligaya (see all)

• Whipped Cream Chocolate Frosting Recipe - December 3, 2014
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe - November 26, 2014
• Broiled Banana Chocolate Pudding Recipe - November 19, 2014