Santa Fe Fuego: Red Chili Cheese Dog

Sometimes you just have to catch a game; even if it is not associated with major league baseball. That's where the independent leagues come in. If you live in a town that is not large enough or clever enough to attract a minor league team, the independent leagues fill in the gap. Wichita, Kansas has the Wingnuts for example and Amarillo, Texas....well, Amarillo is working on getting a team.

I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A town that is a state capital that is so focused on its art scene that it forgot that you need an MLB affiliated baseball team to be considered a real place that most folks will want to call home. I still hold Albuquerque in higher regard, mainly for keeping it real and having an MiLB team. We have the Fuego, a team that is part of the independent Pecos League. The Pecos is expanding, and now has some interesting venues, but it will never compete with MiLB teams. Level of play is better than high school but less than single A level ball. It makes for some very interesting, and high scoring, games.

At least our team in Santa Fe offers a decent specialty dog. For eight bucks you can get a red chili, cheese dog. It also has beans in it. While unique (red and green chilis are a New Mexico thang), it is a so-so concessions choice. It is an absolute must eat it with a fork or most of it will end up on the stone bleachers at Fort Marcy park. I think the frank was a Ballpark brand, which isn't bad but it is no Nathan's or Hebrew National. And the price is about two bucks too expensive. Plus, it didn't fill me up. While I love hot dogs, at the Fuego game the Frito chili pie is a better choice and provides more bang for the buck.

I would never recommend a dedicated road trip to see the Santa Fe Fuego play. But since Santa Fe (for reasons unknown to me) seems to be a vacation destination for many, if you are in town you should catch a game. And after staring at pieces of art that you cannot understand or identify that costs thousands of dollars, a six dollar seat on hard stone will seem like a bargain. And it's baseball. Baseball trumps art any day.