Scoreboard Gourmet

Opening Day of Hot Dogs

• Baseball fans will enjoy “in the ballpark” of 26.8 million hot dogs at US baseball stadiums this season. That’s enough to circle the bases 36,000 times.
• In 2010, consumers spent more than $1.6 billion on hot dogs in U.S. supermarkets.
• Weight Watchers includes hot dogs in its medically-approved diet regimen.
• Sixty percent of Americans prefer their Hot Dogs grilled.

In case you're wondering why on earth SG would run a Rays photo on MLB Opening Day, Kayem is the official hot dog and sausage of the Rays, and Red Sox (and Patriots, Lightning, Florida State Seminoles, and Boston College Eagles), and they're the ones who provided the hot dog stats.

p.s. Rays Opening Day is tomorrow. Red Sox too.
Go Yankees! Or, more importantly, Go Away Rain!

Red Sox Jerky

Connecticut, you're so fickle

And, Wise, you're fickle too. I like you better with the Mets.

How Safe is Ballpark and Stadium Food?

ESPN's "Outside the Lines" reviewed health department inspection reports for food and beverage outlets at all 107 North American arenas and stadiums that were home to Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League and National Basketball Association teams in 2009. At 30 of the venues (28 percent), more than half of the concession stands or restaurants had been cited for at least one "critical" or "major" health violation. Such violations pose a risk for foodborne illnesses that can make someone sick, or, in extreme cases, become fatal.

ScoreboardGourmet surely sees the theoretical value in inspections but the public needs to understand there are many different categories of violation, some not particularly severe. The public also needs to understand that home kitchens are generally way more ripe for problems than restaurant kitchens. Really. That said, this article nicely points out inconsistencies in inspections reporting (inspecting Chicago ballparks on non-game days). And, let's also remember the grossness of all food that been in someone else's hands. Oh yes I'm talking about you, local supermarket deli guy who never changes his gloves.

Check out the story by ESPN's Paula Lavigne: What's Lurking in Your Stadium Food?

Fenway Franks on sale means what?

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.

What The Red Sox and Rays Have in Common

I know some bloggers who disable their comment sections when the Rays are at Fenway and/or the Red Sox are at Tropicana Field. That's what makes this news so exciting: This season at Tropicana Field you can get a Fenway Frank.
I'm totally misleading you sort of.
Kayem - the Official Hot Dog of the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park - is now also the Official Hot Dog and Sausage of the Tampa Bay Rays and Tropicana Field.

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.

NHL Winter Classic; Fenway Park Concessions Guide

I'm writing about Fenway because this year's NHL Winter Classic will be held at Fenway Park on January 1, 2010 (photo from Boston Globe).
You know I lo+ve concessions maps. Thanks, Red Sox, for this Fenway Park Concessions Guide. It's an SAT bubble chart And a map.

More info for the NHL Winter Classic:
-Tailgate parties will Not be allowed on any of the Boston Red Sox operated parking lots.
-Food and beverages will be available throughout the ballpark at concession stands and carts managed by Aramark. Visitors may not bring any food or drink items into the ballpark.
-Alcohol is served at Fenway Park at various Aramark vending stations throughout the ballpark. Fans must be of legal drinking age to be served. Guests will not be allowed to bring alcohol into and out of the ballpark. Beer will not be sold after the 10-minute mark of the third period.
-You CanNOT bring bottles, cans, thermoses or other beverage containers into the ballpark.

Talking Baseball. Drinking Bigelow

After Torre and Francona actually agreed to this endorsement, imagine the meeting deciding what flavor tea they'd be drinking in the ad. Sharing memories and taking time to catch up over a cup of green tea. Excellent.

Bill James and the Red Sox, a mini tribute

Sometimes 60 Minutes is dry, but tonight's episode was pretty, uh, wet (though I did half-ignore the first segment). What I'm really excited about is Bill James, aka the guy who came in and shook up the Red Sox enough to help them win it all, twice. He's the sabermetrics guy; the On Base Percentage guy. You know what I'm talking about. So...while you're waiting (still) for me to get writing about the Twins and Brewers, here's something to read...