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Ball games and hot dogs: Get your Red Hots! Part III

Ball games and hot dogs: Get your Red Hots! Part III

This is Part 3 of a 3-part series on America’s fascination and love of baseball and hot dogs. In Part 2, we discuss the growth of America’s love of hotdogs and America’s national pastime, as well as the importance of Charles Feltman and Babe Ruth to hotdogs and baseball, respectively. In part 3, we will continue with the historical examination of both, concluding with their place in American today.

By the 1890s the word “Frankfurt” was well known, especially in 1893 when it became popular in ballparks. Credit is given to Chris Von de Ahe who started the tradition. He was the owner of the St. Louis Browns major league baseball team.

Harry M. Steven, who ran a food concession in the early 1900s at the Polo Grounds in New York City, had his vendors sell large, spicy sausage rolls during Giants baseball games, topped with sauerkraut and mustard. The salesmen of him were yelling, “Get your hot ones! Hot ones!”

Nathan’s has been recognized today for having the highest quality hot dogs in the world. Statistics show that 360 million Nathan’s Frankfurters were sold last year. They also have the famous Frankfurter eating contest. These hotdogs are sold and enjoyed at 20,000 retail and food service outlets across the United States. Sports celebrities like Joe Namath and Joe DiMaggio loved Nathan’s wieners.

For both Charles Feltman and Nathan Handwerker, the American dream was embraced. This symbolized for them “a dream of a social order in which every man and woman can reach the full height of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” (James Trulow Adams1931)

For Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, the American dream also came true. He is the most recognizable and adored baseball player to this day. The image of him sharing his hot dog with children in the stands at Yankee games was memorialized in a commemorative film of his life, The Babe, where he was portrayed by John Goodman. It’s no accident that the national rise in popularity of both the hot dog and baseball go hand in hand. Charles Feltman sold frankfurters in New York, where they were locally popular in the early 20th century. Babe Ruth played in New York from 1920 to 1934. He loved this succulent treat and was the most famous athlete of that era, perhaps of any era. Their well-known consumption of hot dogs and baseball lore combined to spread the word that “red-hot hots” were a great food and should be tried, especially while watching a ball game.

Soon hot dogs were being sold in every ballpark, the tradition was born, and the Frankfurter became a staple of the American diet and of baseball itself. In fact, if you’re trying to show off and make a mistake in baseball, it’s known as a “hot dog” because you’re trying to be better than you are when a hot dog is certainly good enough, especially the way they’re made. in the ball park. Today, many famous and delicious gourmet Frankfurters and hot dog variations are sold at every major league park, including Fenway Frank in Boston, Nathan’s Dog in New York, the famous Dodger Dog, and even the Bison Dog in Atlanta. There are more variations on the delicious meaty treat today than there are Derek Jeter hits.

So the next time you’re at the grocery store, you can pick up chicken, turkey, tofu, or beef hot dogs, or wait until your next barbecue, ball game, or garden festival to eat that magical outdoor dog. But if you fancy one now, you don’t have to wait for opening day, there’s always a “Nathan’s” somewhere.

Red Hot! Any? You can bet… Hey, I’ll take one here! It may not be diet friendly, but it tastes great and is certainly patriotic!

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