Sweet Product Has The Babe’s Blessing

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By Mike Payne

One of the many people that stopped by the Beckett booth at the 38th National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago was Andre Chiavelli, whose new Babe Ruth’s Long Ball Black Licorice is set to launch to the market in just a few weeks.

On the first full day of the 2017 NSCC, Chiavelli jumped on The Fat Packs’ podcast show on Beckett Radio to pitch the product, then spent a couple minutes with Beckett Baseball explaining how Babe Ruth’s Long Ball Black Licorice was developed.

Chiavelli, a former Yankees employee wearing the 2009 World Series champion ring given to him by the organization, explained the candy idea has been on his mind for the past couple of years. As more levels of sports ban chewing tobacco, Chiavelli was looking for a replacement. Licorice, he said, makes sense because the chewer can chew it outright or keep it in the side of the mouth similar to a wad of tobacco.

“It took me about 2 ½ years to develop,” Chiavelli says. “I had been thinking about licorice being a replacement for tobacco. But no manufacturer could create a product that I was looking for. Lucky for me, I got connected with Kookaburra Licorice in Australia and they make some of the best licorice in the world. It’s soft and pliable. They liked the project and made me this custom made, delicious candy, black licorice and red raspberry, which is called Round Tripper Red Licorice.”

Using his knowledge of the Yankees and the club’s greatest star, Chiavelli approached the Luminary Group to obtain a license to use The Babe’s likeness on the licorice packaging. It helped that the Ruth estate, and The Babe’s granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti, approved of the project and helped Long Ball Licorice land an exclusive licensing agreement with Ruth.

“Linda Ruth Tosetti has become a great friend and is a part of this project,” Chiavelli says.

At a national candy show in Chicago this summer, Chiavelli’s Babe Ruth Long Ball Licorice was named Best Newcomer of the category. “The industry loves it,” he says.

Long Ball Licorice will carry an SRP of $5.95 per each 3.75 ounce pouch of the candy, and is scheduled to be placed in major league ballparks as well as select candy stores.

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1 comment

  1. Andre chiavelli 10 August, 2017 at 22:52

    Thanks Mike your followers will love it ! It’s the finest licorice in the world a delicious candy and the best replacement for chewing tobacco which is getting banned all over ! Just a few short weeks and it will be here you can google long Ball Licorice and hit images and connect from their !
    Our website will be ready soon but social just search Long Ball Licorice thank you

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