Why do groundskeepers groom or “drag” the infield in the fifth inning of baseball games? Well, obviously, smoothing out the clay and dirt keeps infields attractive, playable, and safe.
It turns out, however, that Los Angeles restaurateur Bob Cobb of Cobb Salad fame owned the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League from 1939 until the team’s departure for Salt Lake City in 1957. The Brown Derby owner was informed by staff that food and beverage sales dropped significantly when his pitcher Jack Salveson toed the rubber in 1949. Salveson liked to work very fast, and Stars’ games finished at least 30 minutes ahead of what the team's other hurlers recorded. This put a real dent in food and drink sales since fans had fewer breaks and less time to visit the concession stands.
Cobb needed a way to slow the game down and create more time for fans to buy food food and drink. Actually, he was creating another opportunity to do so since the seventh inning stretch serves that purpose, too. Concession sales returned to the average for all Stars' games with Cobb’s new strategy, which quickly became a baseball tradition. And that’s the story behind the story.
We witness so many take-for-granted things in life that actually have underlying stories and ulterior motives. Curiosity fuels our powers of observation, which should then compel us to learn more.
Image courtesy of the Orange County Register.