Yankees Slash Cracker Jack From Stadium Menu



Corey Kilgannon of the New York Times reports on the Yankees plan to deny their tortured fans the only edible item previously for sale in the Bronx.

The Yankees have quietly retired a longtime stadium starter, Cracker Jack. Now, young fans will have to ask, "Buy me some peanuts and Crunch 'n Munch," which is the popcorn snack the Yankees have chosen to replace Cracker Jack.

The Yankees' chief operating officer, Lonn Trost, said yesterday that fans have not been complaining. While acknowledging that the 1908 song, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" immortalized Cracker Jack as a baseball institution, Mr. Trost added, "I would assume that Cracker Jack didn't have any competition back then."

"Cracker Jack is just a brand name," he added. "We're selling a caramel crunch that is the same thing as Cracker Jack. It's the same difference as Frigidaire versus refrigerator, or aspirin and Bayer, or Jell-O and gelatin."

David Bernstein, director of hospitality at Yankee Stadium, said it all started when he heard that Cracker Jack would be available only in bags, not boxes.

"Bags break open and don't sell as well," said Mr. Bernstein, who then taste-tested the two brands together, along with officials from Centerplate, the company that handles catering and concessions at Yankee Stadium.

"We tasted them both, and believe it or not, Crunch 'n Munch won," he said.

Mr. Bernstein, obviously depressed watching his old writing partner Bob Woodward dominate the best-seller list, is full of something and I don't think it's Crunch'n Munch. Cracker Jack's move to foil bags struck this consumer as entirely practical --- after years of purchasing stale boxes of CJ, the foil sack ensures freshness, time and time again. Anyone who claims to prefer Crunch'n Munch is either a liar or owns shares in ConAgra.

Posted: Wed - May 19, 2004 at 04:59 PM      

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