That’s what you get with Cracker Jack!
When we’d go to Grandma Holton’s house when we were younger, she always bought us Cracker Jack. They used to come three boxes banded together, one for each of us. It was simple: popcorn and peanuts, coated with caramel. And you got a prize in the box! It was something dumb, like a tiny puzzle where you had to get three balls into three holes. But that was just a bonus: the real attraction was the Cracker Jack. They don’t even give prizes anymore.
Ever since the song "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" came out in the early 20th century, Cracker Jack has been associated with baseball. I know you could get it at Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field when I was a kid going to ballgames. In case you’ve never heard the song, here it is, sung by legendary announcer Harry Caray, who came to Chicago to call White Sox games, then moved across town and called Cubs games and sang it at Wrigley Field.
It’s baseball season. Indulge me.
Linda is your host for Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Now the classic Cracker Jack commercial with Jack Gilford.
The Sound of One Hand Typing 
Love Jack Gilford and what he did to that freckled brat. I used to eat this but it’s so sweet that I haven’t had one in years.
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This was a great post, John. We did have similar thoughts although “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” did not cross my mind until I read your post. We loved getting Cracker Jacks. The very early prizes were pretty cool.
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I think we kind of outgrew Cracker Jack when we got older. Now, of course, it’s just caramel corn, and there are plenty of snack makers who make it. The peanuts are what made it special, and now those are gone…
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Oh, my, YES, I remember the bundled package of Cracker Jacks and the dumb prizes. They were nothing like the prizes the kids would get in McDonald’s Happy Meals when my kids were little. Thanks for the fun stroll down memory lane!
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Well, the prize had to fit in the box, so there wasn’t much they could put in there. Now they give you a QR code to do something online. They also stopped putting in peanuts because so many kids are allergic to them. I suggested elsewhere that they sell the caramel-coated peanuts separately, so you could add them, or just eat them out of the jar, like honey-roasted peanuts…
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Yes, that’s right. It’s been so long since I’ve had any Cracker Jacks. It’s a smell I can’t easily forget.
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Well, the QR code is better than the dumb interim tattoo (I just finished off a box today, lol!).
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I suppose so… And you’re right, a QR code is more apropos in this day and age. Kids just aren’t as unsophisticated as we were…
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LOL, true! My mom used to pick up a little ball of paper from China at the dime store whenever I was sick, and it was wrapped in colorful papers all the way to its harder core. In the middle of that was something magical like perfect replicas (1″ long) of gardening tools or tiny tea cups. Seriously, pigeon feathers in the core would’ve thrilled me as much!
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Looking forward to baseball! I remember getting a ring as a prize. Not anymore.
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I know. Cheap bastards…
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One of the songs in our family road trip line-up as a kid. Thanks for the memory and the today’s ‘earworm’. ❤
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Ah, the good old days, when people took vacations by car and sang…
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Loved those Jack Gifford commercials. Thanks, John
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He was perfect for them, wasn’t he?
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If you’ve seen my blog, John, you know I share your love of the game.
I follow an independent league team, the Long Island Ducks. Our mascot is Quackerjack.
We change the lyrics to “…buy me some peanuts and Quackerjack…”
But yes, you can get Cracker Jack at the Ducks’ ballpark.
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Just don’t feed it to the Ducks, right?
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Yep!
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Aww no prize any more. I wondered. Still think I’ll add crackerjacks to my grocery list. Lots of posts about it today have given me a craving.
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I think I read that they put a QR code on the box which takes you to a game. Still, bummer, although the prizes got really cheap after a while (or maybe I should say even cheaper than they used to be).
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I might like the game, I’m playing a lot of Quiz Planet these days
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Sounds interesting! I prefer quizzes and puzzles to action games…
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Great walk down memory lane. Thanks for the trip, Jack.
If you don’t mind, here’s a little something I wrote two years ago. It kinda fits the theme.
https://theelephantstrunk.org/2021/09/23/cracker-jack-days/
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I left you a comment there.
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We were both drawn to the prize, John. Blame it on baseball.
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It’s all baseball’s fault, right?
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Absolutely
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Hi John – I’ll indulge you … just enjoy the games – cheers Hilary
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I will. Thanks!
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loved it!
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Me, too!
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