Scoreboard Gourmet

Pickle Dogs at Charleston River Dogs

You know I'm a big fan of bread, but the Charleston RiverDogs (single-A Yankees, who are never home when I'm in Charleston) have a new menu item this season - The Pickle Dog - and it looks amazing. Holy extra-long sentence with two links. Thanks to John for the photo. The RiverDogs sell their Pickle Dog for $3.50 at The Joe (Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park).

Click to find out what else to do while you're in Charleston. Then write in and tell me how delicious is this Pickle Dog (and it is hard to eat? messy?). And, check out the beer festivals at The Joe on May 22 and September 25th.

Go Yankees!

Hot Dog Facts, in and around the ballpark

The Red Sox host the Yankees this Sunday (yea!) at 8:05pm. In honor of their ballpark, here are some Hot Dog Facts given to me by the Fenway Frank people, Kayem (the official team hot dogs):

-There is only one major league ballpark that sells more sausages than it does hot dogs - Miller Park in Milwaukee, home of the Brewers.

-A 2008 poll found that 63% of baseball fans listed hot dogs as the one ballpark food they could not live without.

-88% of those polled said they have eaten or will eat a hot dog at a sporting event this year.

-An average baseball hot dog vendor sells about 150 hot dogs per game and walks an average of four to five miles each game.

-A vendor's hot dog bin weighs approximately 40lbs fully loaded.

Boneyard BBQ Sauce in Tampa, Yankees

Not to be confused with the Michigan Boneyard BBQ, or the closed(?) Clearwater Bone Yard Barbeque, or the bar in Tampa (The Boneyard), the Boneyard BBQ sauce available to slather over pulled pork sandwiches at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, was selected by the tasters at Legends Hospitality from a selection that's not available to you or me (read: can't buy it in supermarkets).
The verdict? The reader who sent me this photo says the sauce is pretty good. And he's a big eater of bbq. Sandwich and pork photos to follow.

The MiLB-A Tampa Yankees play the Lakeland Flying Tigers in their Home Opener on Thursday, April 8th, at 7pm

Stadium Mustard at Indians / Reds Spring Training in Phoenix

Friday March 5th the Indians play the Reds in Phoenix at Goodyear Ballpark. It's the first Spring Training game, and the first time the Reds play in their new home. Pretty exciting, especially when you know there's Stadium Mustard to be had. Ohioans love their mustard. They demanded and the people of Goodyear complied. You can get spicy brown and blah yellow too, but why would you? I'm asking seriously - why would anyone choose any mustard over the good stuff?

Bleeding Tiger Stripes in Louisiana

Hemophilia is rampant these days. Everyone is bleeding team colors, so let's talk about Purple and Gold blood: LSU.

Pictured here, a pack of sauces you can pick up for $14.99 at your local Louisiana Winn Dixie. They're sold individually too ($2.99 at supermarkets, more expensive at specialty shops and touristy places). 

Last week the Tigers beat the Razorbacks (that's Arkansas) in their final pre-Bowl game. They're ranked #2 in the SEC West, and somewhere between 13-15 in larger NCAA rankings. Obviously I'm talking about academics here, not football.

Hot Dog at Safeco Field

You know you've spent an inordinate amount of time with Scoreboard Gourmet when you send in a picture as amazing as this one. Thank you, TFMJ. Notice how he got the three Sierra Nevada mustards in there. I love mustard! And look at that perfect hot dog, with tons of kraut. I'm starving. This is exciting. 

This is Seattle, by the way. Reporting from a Mariners game. Regular hot dogs at Safeco Field are $4.50, and TFMJ says they are snappy and good. 

Mets Food Concessions Survey, Take It

Thank you, MetsGrrl, for pointing me to the Mets/Citi Field Food Concessions Survey.

I would rate my experience of using the Topping Carts as Excellent.
In what other capacity can you use the word Excellent in a sentence about the Mets? Excellent bat-phone photo of the place where the Mets play. Now you try it...

Yankees French's mustard in a supermarket near you

Brown! Not Yellow.

Chicken Fingers and Wet Salt

con⋅di⋅ment [kon-duh-muhnt]
something used to give a special flavor to food, as mustard, ketchup, salt, or spices.

Yes I'm back to being baffled by condiment quantity. Regular readers know my amazement in this arena never ends. I need someone to explain it to me, really. Why Do So Many People Insist On Submerging Their Food In Ketchup?

In case my picture isn't clear, this woman has an amount of ketchup equal to the amount of chicken. Seriously. And she's determined to consume every ounce. I offered her a can of condensed tomato soup and she snarled at me.

Secret Stadium Sauce and Miracle Whip

Did you even know they still made Miracle Whip? Or is that a retro commercial from way back in 2002 when The Rookie came out? Yes, just as I was contemplating Secret Stadium Sauce (the bottle is on my coffee table), a Miracle Whip commercial ran. And, yes, I am watching The Rookie, which is not a great movie, but I want to have something on while Through the Fire (Sebastian Telfair documentary) is taping. That show requires my full attention, and no interruption.

Back to Secret Stadium Sauce. I had high hopes for this highly touted condiment available at Miller Park (created by Sportservice). I'm amazed by the number of people who write in to ask me about it because, well, it tastes like watery-cocktail-sauce-mixed-with-barbeque-sauce. I suspect I can recreate it. In fact, later this summer when I throw a baseball-food-party I will to do a taste test. Great idea. My version will Not have high fructose corn syrup. Hate that stuff.
Thoughts on my plan? Anyone ever do this?

There's a character in The Rookie called Rudy? And underdoggy pitcher. Sheesh.

Ketchup is Wet Salt, please believe me, and a little vinegar

Look how much ketchup that guy has. That is ridiculous. Condiments are meant to enhance flavor, not completely overwhelm by drowning.
And check out the empty hot dog container to the right of the mustard. Why wasn't that thrown out? Not pictured are two garbage cans within five feet, on the way back to the seats.
What Is Wrong With People?