Big League Chew is a brand of bubble gum that is shredded and packaged in an aluminum foil pouch. It was created by Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher Rob Nelson, and pitched to the Wrigley Company (longtime owners of the Chicago Cubs) by former New York Yankee All-Star Jim Bouton, a Maverick teammate of Nelson's, as a fun alternative to the unhealthy tobacco-chewing habit common among ballplayers in the 1970s. Over 600 million pouches of Big League Chew have been sold since 1980. Big League Chew was introduced in May 1980, in the traditional pink color already seen in established brands of bubble gum. The cartoony packaging, originally designed by artist Bill Mayer, comes in flashy colors such as neon green and bright purple.