The Dodger Dog

Celebrating the Dodger Dog. (Courtesy Todd Anton)

 

“A hot dog at the park is better than a steak at the Ritz.” — Humphrey Bogart 1

“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” may mention peanuts and Cracker Jack, but the hot dog is the cleanup hitter of the baseball stadium lineup.

The quintessential ballpark meal is believed to have been born in the nineteenth century and soon found itself an American staple. But how did the Dodger Dog – not invented until 1962, in a city better known for fusion food than beef – become the most popular of all the franks?

Harry M. Stevens introduced hot dogs to New York ballparks in 1905, allegedly to replace poor-selling ice cream during an early season game. Known as “red hots,” the sausages sold well enough to merit a permanent place in the concession roster, especially as a double-play partner to the lucrative beer.2 The portability of the food, and its ability to be consumed with one hand, without utensils, added to the appeal.3

Upon leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles in 1958, the Dodgers franchise wished to honor its New York borough traditions and simultaneously establish a fresh identity in California. Thomas Arthur, manager of concessions, sought to sell a footlong sausage modeled after the Coney Island hot dogs of his youth, but the offering was two inches short of the promised 12.

Branding and ingenuity solved that problem. According to hot-dog historian Bruce Kraig, “people are more receptive to a hot dog if it is slightly longer than its bun,” so Arthur opted for a shorter roll.4 With the alliterative “Dodger Dog” name, a culinary star was born. Arthur, who died in 2006, ran the Dodgers’ food operations from the ballpark’s 1962 opening until his retirement in 1991.5 In a town where idea ownership is often contested, former team owner Peter O’Malley has said “the Dodger Dog (w)as Tom’s idea.”6

Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett promoted the Dodger Dog on television and radio, further cementing the relationship between the snack and the stadium. Scully, the quintessential Dodger, noted, “The ones they have here are as good as I’ve ever tasted. Without a doubt.”7 Hot dog connoisseurs are less sanguine. Bruce Kraig, author of Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America, states matter-of-factly that “First, it’s marketing. And secondly, it’s marketing. And the third thing? Oh yes, marketing.”8

Players were not immune to its appeal: Rick Sutcliffe once sat in the bullpen enjoying a Dodger Dog before he was summoned to the mound to replace an injured starter. Manager Tommy Lasorda hectored the hungry hurler once he noticed the mustard and relish on Sutcliffe’s uniform.9

Even celebrities are star-struck by the concession champion. Emmy Award winner Bryan Cranston confided that “there’s something about the environment of being here at Dodger Stadium. … [Y]ou know what it’s like? When you go to a movie theater, you have to have popcorn. You’ve got to have popcorn. When you come to a Dodger game, you’ve got to have a Dodger Dog.”10

Though sales figures were not officially reported, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council calculated that 1.7 million Dodger Dogs were sold during the 2005 season.11 Sports Illustrated estimated that 2.7 million yearly dogs were consumed from 2015 to 2019, more than twice the runner-up Yankees’ 1.2 million annual sales.12 Commercial success was buoyed by critical acclaim: Baseball fan Bob Wood rated it A-plus in his 1985 book Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks: And All the Wieners in Between, perhaps the only authoritative book on the subject.13

Although the Dodgers, like most baseball teams, have expanded their culinary offerings to include other fare, the Dodger Dog still remains king. The team briefly boiled the dogs in the early 1990s but soon reverted to grilling them after fan uproar.14 At the start of the 2023 season, the club offered plant-based dogs, bacon-wrapped dogs, and a rotating offering based on the visiting team, in addition to the standard pork-based Dodger Dog and the beef-based “super dog.”15

According to the retail package of Dodger Dogs, each 75-gram link contains 200 calories, 8 grams of protein, 17 grams of fat, and 40 milligrams of cholesterol, though fans may not be too focused on the statistics.

In 2020 Farmer John and the Dodgers did not renew their contract and Papa Cantrella’s became the official hot-dog provider of the franchise. Though the terms of the divorce were not divulged, press reports cited Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) investigations on worker safety shortcomings.16 Smithfield, parent company of Farmer John, announced the closure of its Vernon, California, plant in 2023.17

Rookie Papa Cantrella’s eagerly played up its Southern California roots: “[L]ike the Dodgers, our history and community ties run deep in Los Angeles. We could not be more proud to be partnering with this iconic brand and product.”18 Founded in 1980, Papa Cantrella’s continues to sell the iconic sausage in both Dodger Stadium and LA-area grocery stores.19 As a testament to the fans’ devotions, the Dodger Dog received its very own statue outside of Dodger Stadium, and bobbleheads of its likeness have been a constant presence among Dodgers game promotions.

Team historian Mark Langhill noted that “it’s simply a hot dog but there’s a romance about that title – the Dodger Dog. It’s part of the organ music, the souvenirs, saving your ticket stub. The Dodger Dog was a major part of growing up as a Dodger fan in Los Angeles.”20 This love affair is bound to continue, as Dodger Stadium executive chef Christine Gerriets noted before the 2023 season: “It’s the world famous dog, Dodger Dog, if you will. It’s a fan favorite, and that’s you know, one item that will always be here to stay.”21

TONY S. OLIVER is a native of Puerto Rico currently living in Sacramento, California, with his wife and daughter. While he works as a Six Sigma professional, his true love is baseball and he cheers for both the Red Sox and whoever happens to be playing the Yankees. He is fascinated by baseball cards and is currently re- searching the evolution of baseball tickets. He believes there is no prettier color than the vibrant green of a freshly mown grass on a baseball field.

 

Notes

1 A clip of Bogart on baseball is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp1U7LnMs3A.

2 Jari Villanueva, “Hot Dog and Baseball,” Taps Bugler Website, July 20, 2021, https://www.tapsbugler.com/hot-dogs-and-baseball/.

3 Chris Landers, “Everyone Gets a Hot Dog at Games … but Why?” MLB.com, April 3, 2020, https://www.mlb.com/news/history-of-iconic-mlb-ballpark-food-explained.

4 Emma Baccellieri, “The Most Iconic Hot Dog in Baseball,” SI.com, July 19, 2022, https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/07/19/dodger-dog-daily-cover.

5 Arthur’s company also ran the food business at the LA Coliseum.

6 Elaine Wood, “Thomas G. Arthur, 84: Made Dodger Dogs a Staple of L.A.,” Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2006, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-27-me-arthur27-story.html.

7 Frank Shyong, “Great Read: For the Nostalgic, the Dodger Dog Is a Home Run,” Los Angeles Times, October 6, 2014, https://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-dodger-dog-20141006-story.html.

8 Shyong.

9 Matt Borelli, “Dodgers New: Vin Scully, Rick Sutcliffe Share Farmer John Dodger Dog Memories,” Dodger Blue, May 3, 2021, https://dodgerblue.com/dodgers-news-vin-scully-rick-sutcliffe-farmer-john-dodger-dog-memories/2021/05/03/.

10 Baccellieri, “The Most Iconic Hot Dog in Baseball.”

11 Wood, “Thomas G. Arthur, 84: Made Dodger Dogs a Staple of L.A.”

12 Baccellieri, “The Most Iconic Hot Dog in Baseball.”

13 Bob Wood, “Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks: And All the Wieners in Between” (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988).

14 Haldan Kirsch, “What Makes the Dodger Dog So Unique,” Tasting Table, July 12, 2022, https://www.tastingtable.com/925309/what-makes-the-dodger-dog-so-unique/.

15 Matthew Kang, “The Eater Guide to Dodger Stadium,” LA Eater, March 29, 2023, https://la.eater.com/2023/3/29/23660976/where-to-eat-dodger-stadium-best-food-los-angeles.

16 Elina Shatkin, “Meet Your New Dodger Dog, Los Angeles: Papa Cantella’s,” LAist, May 11, 2021, https://laist.com/news/food/meet-your-new-dodger-dog-los-angeles-papa-cantellas.

17 Kevin Smith, “Farmer John’s Laid-Off Workers Offered Free Training, New Prospects,” Los Angeles Daily News, February 16, 2023, https://www.dailynews.com/2023/02/16/farmer-johns-laid-off-workers-offered-free-training-new-prospects.

18 “Papa Cantella’s Named Proud Partner of Los Angeles Dodgers,” Papa Cantella’s Press Release, https://papacantella.com/about/press-release/.

19 “Papa Cantella’s Named Proud Partner of Los Angeles Dodgers.”

20 Julia Paskin, “A Frank History of the Dodger Dog,” LAist, June 25, 2018, https://laist.com/news/entertainment/a-frank-history-of-the-dodger-dog-a.

21 Sophie Flay, “Opening Day Means Plenty of Food Options for Dodger Fans,” ABC7, March 29, 2023, https://abc7.com/los-angeles-dodgers-opening-day-2023-dodger-stadium/13045002/.