I'm on a Mission from God (or at least Oscar Mayer)

The countdown begins!

Last year I indulged in two of my passions: road tripping and going to baseball games. I incorporated a drive of the entire length of Route 66 with attending as many baseball games along the way as I could. That morphed into a larger road trip that allowed me to visit about 11 Major League Baseball (MLB) ball parks as well as some minor league venues. Sitting in the stands for three hours watching America’s past time works up an appetite, and it only seemed right to eat the one food so strongly assoicated with the sport: the hot dog.

Yes, I know….hot dogs are made by the anti-Christ and part of a secret government conspiracy to save social security by having people drop dead before they can collect by killing them off with a heart attack or stroke via hot dog consumption. Sure, there are healthier choices, but I liken it to my version of riding a motorcycle without a helmet: there are risks but life without risk is pretty damn boring. Plus, ALL of us put things into our body that we enjoy but are not exactly the best for us (beer, wine, whiskey, tabacco, pizza, anti-depressants, etc.). Hot dogs are my vice….cut me some slack.

In 2014 I intend to eat a hot dog in each of the 30 MLB ball parks. This blog will chronicle the journey that I estimate will consist of 11,000 miles of driving, 2.5 months on the road, a boatload of money, 3 bottles of peptobismol and a 5 gallon bucket of rolaids. In between the majors I aim to catch as many minor league games as possible. At each, I will eat the best dog each venue offers and grade them accordingly (the grading scale is still in developement and I welcome your input) as well as giving an overall impression of the park itself.

I blast off on April 12 with the first stop being a test run of the system at a minor league game in Oklahoma City