By Harrison Power
There's nothing quite like the feeling of going out to a baseball game. The sunshine, the smell of newly mown grass, and a cooling breeze makes for a perfect game and perfect outing. For many of us, it is something that we enjoy doing and it really signals the fact that summer is here. For others, it gives us a nostalgic feeling because of the fun times that we had at the stadium when we were children. Regardless of why you enjoy going out to the ballgame, it is very rarely an unpleasant experience. A lot goes into preparing for a game, some things that you may not even realize.
By the time we arrived at the stadium, the grass is pristine, the lines on the field are crisp and white and the stands are relatively clean. However, the previous game and up to 50,000 fans no doubt left a mess that needed to be taken care of. An army of people have gone around cleaning the stadium, mowing the grass, taking care of any repairs and making sure that everything is just right whenever the gates open for the new game.
Another thing that needs to be taken into consideration is all of the foods and beverages that are consumed during game time. These all need to be ordered and stocked ahead of time so that nothing runs short while the game is in play. Can you imagine the fury of the fans if they were told their favorite beverage had just run dry?
Baseball stadium food is more than hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn these days. The cuisine borders on the gourmet side. Regional favorites like burritos and nachos star in the Southwest and Southern California, while lobster rolls are featured on the East Coast and Boston area and Barbecue is the highlight in Texas. Complete buffets and white glove restaurant service is available in the air conditioned luxury boxes along with fine china, silver, and crystal.
However, good ole hot dogs still rule as the favorite food of baseball fans at the stadium. According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council 2008 MLB park survey 30 million hot dogs will be sold at games this season. If the hot dogs were laid end to end that's enough for 41,667 home runs.
Those hot dogs don't get to the fans all by themselves. Hot dog vendors in the stands sell about 10,000 hot dogs each during the season. And that hot dog bin they tote around is no light weight, fully loaded with dogs, buns, and condiments it weights 40 pounds.
Only one major league stadium sells more sausages than hot dogs and it should be no surprise it's Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. So the next time you're in the stadium, enjoying the baseball game, think a little bit about what it took to get the stadium in the shape that it's in. It may not increase your enjoyment of the game but it will add to your respect of those that take care of the field.
Interested in professional sports in the United States? Read more from Harrison Power. He's a contributor to the website Over Time: Sports and makes occasional guest appearances on Golf on a Budget and Brian Hill's Sports Blog
Source:www.isnare.com |
