Read the excerpt from Brighton Beach Memoirs, by Neil Simon.

EUGENE They're clean. I'm wearing a glove. (He throws the ball into his glove again... then he looks out front and addresses the audience) I hate my name! Eugene Morris Jerome... It is the second-worst name ever given to a male child. The first worst is Haskell Fleischmann... How am I ever going to play for the Yankees with a name like Eugene Morris Jerome? You have to be a Joe... or a Tony... or Frankie... If only I was born Italian... All the best Yankees are Italian... My mother makes spaghetti with ketchup, what chance do I have?
(He slams the ball into his glove again)

In this excerpt, the playwright provides historical context by

A referring to Italian food.
B referring to Eugene's middle name.
C referring to Eugene's mother.
D referring to Italian baseball players.