When Kobayashi hears about the Texas Rangers’ new item on the menu at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, his mind will be blown.
The Rangers’ concessionaire, Sportservice, on Friday introduced the Champion Hot Dog — a two-foot hot dog covered in chili, sauteed onions and shredded cheese that costs $26.
“We did a half-pound hot dog during the World Series and wanted to top it,” Casey Rapp, operations manager for Sportsservice, told ESPN. “Our company had to have the hot dog made special and we had to find a local bakery to make the bun. The bun is like a loaf of bread just to hold this thing.”
It’s made to feed three to four people (or one really hungry person). But everything is bigger in Texas, right?
 This is the monstrosity of a hot dog fans can pay $26 for. |
This is the latest in a long history of odd baseball promotions.
Do you remember that episode of The Simpsons where Mr. Burns — the wealthiest man in Springfield — wins a car during a minor league baseball Springfield Isotopes game where it happens to be Pretzel Night?
Baseball legend Whitey Ford pleads with the crowd to stop throwing the pretzels onto the field, but it doesn’t end well.
Well believe it or not, The Simpsons’ pretzel night scenario is tame compared to some other outlandish baseball promotions.
Here are some of baseball’s most memorable promotions:
Ten-cent Beer Night
In 1974, the Cleveland Indians had an idea that was awesome in theory and idiotic in practice. Ten-cent Beer Night was appealing to fans, but predictably didn’t end well. The Indians ended up forfeiting the game to the Texas Rangers because the game could not be resumed in a timely manner after the crowd began acting a bit too out of control for the umpire’s liking.
Free Baseball Night
Mark this one under “ideas that weren’t thoroughly thought out.” One night in 1995, the Los Angeles Dodgers gave out baseballs. After Raul Mondesi and Tommy Lasorda were ejected, fans became upset. You can guess what happened next. Fans began throwing baseballs onto the field.
Disco Demolition Night
In 1979, the Chicago White Sox encouraged fans to bring in their old disco records to be blown up after the first game of a double-header against the Detroit Tigers. However, the field caught fire, fans became unruly and rushed the field, ruining the grass. Chicago riot police were called to clear the field, which was so damaged that the Sox were forced to forfeit the second game. Apparently these fans weren’t big supporters of Saturday Night Fever.
Don Zimmer Teddy Bear Night
This Tampa Bay Rays promotion is scheduled to take place on June 29 at Tropicana Field. This is what will be given out to fans that night. It’s oddly adorable:
If you’re looking for some odd promotions, look no further than minor league baseball.
Nobody Night
In 2002, the Charleston RiverDogs, an affiliate team of the Rays, decided to set a record that nobody would want to break. For one game, they padlocked the doors of their stadium in an effort to keep fans out, even though fans had already paid for tickets. But team officials thought it would be fun to have an official attendance of zero, so fans were directed to a party tent with discount beer and food until after the fifth inning.
Vasectomy Night
The RiverDogs were at it again with their offer to men for free vasectomies. This promotion never came fruition though, due to public outcry. At least this promotion was set to be a voluntary one.
Toilet Seat Night
The Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York – Penn League gave 3,000 fans stadium seat cushions in the shape of toilet seats. The previous season the Renegades hosted a toilet plunger giveaway. There seems to be a common theme with that franchise.
Pre-planned Funeral Night
When your favourite team loses it can feel like a morbid experience, but the Hagerstown Suns of the South Atlantic League took that feeling to another level when they organized Pre-planned Funeral Night. They gave fans the chance to win a $6,500 funeral package that included a casket, embalming, the use of a funeral home and a death certificate.
Frivolous Lawsuits Night
This one is just funny. The Altoona Curve, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, held Salute to Frivolous Lawsuits Night. The tongue-in-cheek promotion handed out items including scald-free, lukewarm coffee and beach balls with warnings about accidental ingestion on them.
POLL:
Which of the following was the worst promotional idea?
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