It's Hot Dog Season

Last night, I attended a K-State baseball game to mark my first of what is sure to be many innings of baseball watched and hot dogs consumed over the next 6 months. I love baseball and ballpark food. Supposedly, I'm not alone. Americans love hot dogs.

The fun folks at the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council dug up some great facts on America's obsession with hot dogs and baseball. Here are some neat hot dog facts for you to chew on.

• Ballparks around the country will serve 21,378,064 hot dogs this season, enough to round the bases 29,691 times.
• Fenway Park is estimated to serve more hot dogs than any other Major League Baseball stadium. They are predicted to sell more than 1.67 million hot dogs during the 2010 season.
• The Philadelphia Phillies are asking fans this year to select a new signature hot dog for the park.
• The sausage follows as a distant second to the hot dog at all but one MLB stadium. The Milwaukee Brewers, home of the world-famous Klement’s Sausage Race in the sixth inning of each game, is projecting that 910,000 sausages will be served this year at Miller Park. Miller Park is the only stadium in Major League Baseball where sausages outsell hot dogs. In fact, the stadium sells more sausages than 22 teams sell hot dogs.

Kauffman Stadium is near and dear to my heart. During Buck Nights, I'll consume more than my fair share of hot dogs. However, I've also been to Miller Park, and I'll admit their sausages might just be the best food available at any ballpark.

I tip my hat to the folks at the NHDSC for the fun hot dog facts. I encourage you to read the article. It's filled with more fun than a hot dog topped with your favorite toppings. For instance, did you know you might be breaking the law in Chicago if you put ketchup on a hot dog over the age of 18?

I guess I better start asking for a Chicago-style hot dog this season.

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/ member dinnercraft