Dividends: Reggie Strikes Out

As baseball's spring training got under way last week, former New York Yankee Slugger Reggie Jackson was in the red, white and blue livery of the California Angels, his fourth team since 1975. Before embarking on that odyssey by leaving the Oakland A's for first the Baltimore Orioles and then the Yankees, Jackson had predicted that some day "they'd name a candy bar after me."

The remark reflected the widely held misconception that one of the nation's bestselling candy bars, the Baby Ruth, was named for legendary Yankee Star Babe Ruth. In fact, it was named for President Grover Cleveland's daughter Ruth. Even so, Reggie got his wish. Curtiss, which also makes the Baby Ruth, in 1977 decided to create a new candy bar of chocolate, caramel and peanuts in a bright orange wrapper. Its name: Reggie! The Reggie! bar, though, never became a high-volume contender at candy counters outside New York, and Curtiss is now retiring Reggie! from its lineup.