It's not really a historical question, it's simply the pace of the game.

For long periods of baseball an individual player is idle. If you watch one fielder and only him; he may not interact with the ball for several innings at a time. He then may sit in the dugout for 2-3 offensive innings before his next turn at bat. A baseball player must kill ALOT of time while being ready to perform his next athletic feat.

If you're on the football field, you're guaranteed to be exerting yourself for a high energy burst. If you're on the basketball court you're almost constantly running, guarding, passing, or even working off the ball (i.e. setting a screen).

Chewing tobacco is not pleasurable during an intense workout. It works with baseball because the bursts of exertion are few and far between.