Grinds ‘Coffee in Your Pocket’ Offers Alternative to Chewing Tobacco in Major League Baseball Clubhouses

by abournenesn

Jun 6, 2012

Grinds 'Coffee in Your Pocket' Offers Alternative to Chewing Tobacco in Major League Baseball ClubhousesThe success stories of professional baseball are often retold, but what happens to the low draft pick who realizes in Single-A that he'll never make it to The Show?

If you're Matt Canepa, you go back to college and stumble upon the potential business venture of a lifetime.

Canepa and Pat Pezet spent a year together on the baseball team at California Polytechnic State University, but after Canepa's minor league career flamed out, he decided to finish his degree, at which time he reconnected with his former teammate. One night the two were doing the typical college thing — pulling an all-nighter — when they decided to get a quick pick-me-up by chewing coffee grinds.

In what can only be described as a eureka moment, the two immediately realized that there might be a market for their discovery, and within a few years — and after placing in a couple business competitions — raised enough capital to start their business venture. Since then, Grinds has found a market in baseball.

Currently, the product is used in 20 of 30 major league clubhouses, and is used at least in the minors by every organization.The product contains about one quarter the caffeine of a cup of coffee, and not only provides a shot of energy, but has also been used as a safer alternative to chewing tobacco, which Major League Baseball has taken steps to curb the use of. San Francisco Giants manager Bruch Bochy even wrote to Canepa and Pezet to share how their product helped him get off chew.

Chewing coffee grinds isn't necessarily a new phenomenon — former major league closer Troy Percival used to do so on the field — but the packaging allows the product to be carried around more easily, and Grinds also comes in three different flavors.

Grinds 'Coffee in Your Pocket' Offers Alternative to Chewing Tobacco in Major League Baseball ClubhousesVisit getgrinds.com for more information.

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