Scoreboard Gourmet

MLB Ballparks Opening Dates

In honor of the Twins new ballpark - Target Field (pictured above and in a lovely album in the middle column) - officially opening tomrrow, Monday April 12th, 2010 when the team takes on the Red Sox at 3:10pm, here's a list of all 30 MLB Ballparks and the year they opened.

Phillies Got a Brand New Dog: South Philly Hot Dog Wins Fan Vote

The votes are in. Nearly 6,500 of them, in fact. The South Philly Hot Dog (pictured) is now officially on the Citizens Bank Park menu.

Earning 46 percent of the vote, this all-beef Hatfield dog topped with broccoli rabe, spicy roasted peppers and sharp provolone cheese on a crusty Italian roll, will be available at the Hatfield concession stand, Section 125, main concourse starting Monday, April 12th when the Phillies open their home season.

Other New Menu Items:
At the Alley Grill (left field concourse) look for Turkey Hill vanilla and chocolate milkshakes, double cheeseburgers, and grilled bistro chicken sandwiches.
At the new stand behind Harry The K's, You'll find slightly sweet and lightly salted kettle corn

In the regular concessions, when you're feeling full of meat, go for the veggie dogs and southwest black bean burgers

Phillies New Signature Hot Dog - Vote Now!

Phillies fans, you may be last year's national league champions, and you may have a Hot Dog Launcher, but you don't have a signature hot dog.

Vote now (and before April 4th) to pick your favorite of three options - South Philly Hot Dog (all-beef with broccoli rabe, spicy roasted peppers and sharp provolone on a crusty Italian roll), Olde Philadelphia Hot Dog (all-beef dog with Amish pepper hash, dill pickle and yellow mustard on a poppyseed roll), or Summer Hot Dog (all-beef with cucumbers, pickled onion salsa and ancho pepper sauce on a pretzel roll).

Following the Yankees to Phillies town

I'm not actually following the Yankees to Citizens Bank Park, but maybe You are, and maybe you don't realize that my pulldown menus (left column) actually work. They do, which is incredible because I made them. In case you don't believe me, or just like your life to be easy, click here for Phillies info. Or, ask questions in the unwieldy comment section below this post. I'll answer, and though it will be confusing to read because of the layout, you'll get the gist.

2009 World Series Schedule, Times and Dates

Game 1 - Wednesday, Oct 28th
Yankee Stadium - 7:57pm (Fox)

Game 2 - Thursday, Oct 29th
Yankee Stadium - 7:57pm (Fox)

Game 3 - Saturday, Oct 31st
Citizens Bank Park (where Citizens Bankers play) - 7:57pm (Fox)

Game 4 - Sunday, Nov 1st
Citizens Bank Park (Conveniently located in the same parking area as Lincoln Financial Field where the New York Giants will be playing the Philadelphia Eagles at 1pm; same time as Jets/Dolphins; same day as New York City's marathon) - 8:20pm (Fox)

Game 5 - Monday, Nov 2nd (if necessary)
Citizens Bank Park (nothing else to say about that, for now) - 7:57pm (Fox)

Game 6 - Wednesday, Nov 4th (if necessary)
Yankee Stadium - 7:57pm (Fox)

Game 7 - Thursday, Nov 5th (if necessary)
Yankee Stadium - 7:57pm (Fox)

America’s Most Vegetarian-Friendly Ballparks

For the third consecutive year, Citizens Bank Park (Aramark / Phillies) has been named America’s most vegetarian-friendly ballpark by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Among PETA’s annual list of the best baseball venues for vegetarians, four of the top five, and five of the top 10 spots, as well as two honorable mentions are servied by Aramark (they're in 13 major league ballparks).

Coors Field (Rockies), Turner Field (Braves) and the Minute Maid Park (Astros) ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Oriole Park at Camden Yards earned PETA’s No. 9 ranking. PNC Park in Pittsburgh and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum were honorable mentions.

Phillies Ice Cream: Phillie Phanatic Double Play

The Turkey Hill people made a new ice cream flavor just for you, Phillies fans: vanilla with caramel and caramel (cream-flavored light ice cream with caramel corn and caramel swirl). They're calling it Phillie Phanatic Double Play. You can buy it at Citizens Bank Park and wherever you already get your Phillies Graham Slam, the other official Phillies ice cream flavor by Turkey Hill.

Also, they're doing another tickets giveaway.

In other Turkey Hill news, the unpleasantly named dairy is now also the Official Ice Cream of the Yankees. The new official ice cream flavors - Bronx Bombers Sundae and Pinstripe Brownie Blast - are allegedly available at stores throughout the New York area, but I have yet to see that. I did see them at the ballpark.

And guess what? Turkey Hill is giving away Yankees tickets too.

Mmm. Turkey Ice Cream. Delicious.

Walkoff Walk's Mini Ballpark Food Round-up

Even if I wasn't mentioned I'd still send You over to this nice little Stadium Food Round-up by Walkoff Walk: Stadium Food Arrives. Links! Connection! a Web! TFMJ keeps telling me that's what this internet thing is all about.

Reading the comments on Rob's post reminded me of a question I need to ask. I talked to some people about it this weekend at Citi Field, but now I pose the question to You (and Walkoff Walk readers): is it more worth it to stand on line for Phillies-tony luke's or Mets-shake shack?
why does that hardly seem like english? maybe it's the rain, or the fact that I couldn't find my favorite doughnut at the farmer's market this morning.

ScoreboardGourmet regular readers already know my answer: Tony Luke's, which I didn't even love.

What makes Tony Luke's better (besides my ongoing belief that shake shack is overrated)? Going to a Phillies game was sort of a big deal since it involved car rental. That's why these kinds of concessions work - tourists and fans who go to few games are going to hit the "specialty" stands, and they'll endure the line because it's a one-off, a special occasion. Season's Ticketholders will try it once, maybe a second time, if they're sick of everything else and didn't have time to grab something

the Brett Myers diet: stop drinking beer

Not including Football Sundays, Brett Myers didn't drink beer this offseason which resulted in a loss of 35 pounds. I'm going to guess there were other dietary changes as well, but figured this pitcher's program was worth mentioning (after reading about it in, yes, ESPN Mag. can I hype them any more?).

Full Name: Brett Allen Myers

Born: 08/17/1980

Birthplace: Jacksonville, FL

Height: 6' 4"     Weight: 240-35?

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

College: N/A

MLB Debut: 07/24/2002

Florida Spring Training Parking Rates

Braves: Free
Mets: $5
Nats: $5
Orioles: $5
Tigers: $5
Twins: $5
Astros: $7
Cardinals/Marlins: $7
Phillies: $7

Pirates: $7, but no official lot (handwritten signs that clearly could change)
Red Sox: parking lots in front of churches and crackhouses; avg price $7

Reds: $10, or $5 if car has 4+ people in it
Yankees: $10
Blue Jays: Free for season ticket holders; varies for other because no official lot

Rays: ?; surely twice as much for Yankees fans

Saw some Tailgating at Twins. Spring Training Tickets are still on sale. Get down here, and let me know what You ate at the game

Dodgers v Phillies starts tonight

A taste of CA in PA - Anchor Steam.

All games on Fox; all times ET.

Game 1 at Phillies - 8:22p tonight - Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.24) vs. Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09)

Game 2 at Phillies - 4:35p tomorrow - Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14) vs. Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55)

Game 3 at Dodgers - 8:22p 10/12 - Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (9-10, 3.73)

Game 4 at Dodgers - 8:22p 10/13

If necessary: Game 5 at Dodgers - 8:22p 10/15

Game 6 at Phillies - 8:22p 10/17

Game 7 at Phillies - 8:22p 10/18

Each team swept a four-game series on its home field in August.