The city of Durham has had a baseball team since 1902 and has
used the name Bulls since 1913. The story goes that the reason the
place baseball pitchers warm up is called a "bullpen" is because of
the many advertisements for Bull Durham Tobacco placed behind them.
It wasn't until 1988, though, with the movie Bull Durham, that the
local team gained worldwide attention. As part of the movie, which
was shot in Durham, the producers set up a large snorting bull.
Smoke came from his nostrils whenever a player hit a home run. On
the bull was written the words, "Hit Bull, Win Steak." On the
grassy field beneath it was written, "Hit Grass, Win Salad." When
the movie was finished, the sign was left behind at the Durham
Athletic Park. Several years later, when the Bulls moved into a new
stadium (the Durham Bulls Athletic Park), they brought the bull
with them and then replaced it with a bigger one when they achieved
Triple-A status. Today, the bull still snorts smoke when a player
hits a home run and any player hitting the bull is treated to a
free steak at the nearby Marriot.
You're looking for a 35mm film cannister placed nearby (although
possibly out of sight from) this bull. Feel free to walk over and
see the stadium after finding it. If a game is in progress you
should be able to see part of it through the bars. Also go walk
through the nearby American Tobacco Campus. At one time Durham was
the tobacco capital of the world and these renovated tobacco
warehouses are well worth the visit.
