WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Old Ballgame: Baseball and Hot Dogs

Episode Date: February 8, 2024

A look at the origin of baseball's favorite concession food. 

Welcome to the old ballgame, where we talk about the past of America's favorite pastime. I'm Tate Christensen. Today we talk about the origin of baseball's favorite concession food, hot dogs. At early ball games, there were no official concession stands, but local people would sell food to fans, who tended to eat things you would eat without utensils. And at the beginning of the 20th century, German immigrants began to help shape the culture, and people began to love their dachshundas, which were served with a milk roll in sauerkraut. In the 1860s, Chris von der Raqi, a German immigrant and owner of the St. Louis Browns, introduced the hot dog to baseball fans. At first, they were served without buns, and instead, customers would keep the white gloves

that the hot sausages were served on. However, the gloves were eventually not being returned, and this frustrated the company. Somewhere along the line, the split bun was introduced, and it fit just like a glove, and now countless hot dogs are eaten every ballgame. This has been the old ballgame on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.