The only vacuum you need are for the pictures and the prose. Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer. He’s a fan of baseball, peanuts and storytelling.

Baseball player cards were often buried as prizes inside the boxes of candied peanuts and popcorn. Whatever the reason, Cracker Jack gained enough popularity by 1908 to earn mention in the ...

Baseball season is upon us, and I, for one, am looking forward to the hopeful optimism and the return to routine that comes with another 162-game season. It’s grounding, it’s steady — and it ...