Baseball and hot dogs have enjoyed a long, prosperous marriage, a timeless union between America’s pastime and its favorite guilty pleasure. No stadium food, not even nachos or soft-serve in a plastic helmet, enjoys the lasting relevance or cultural cache of the mustard-dipped frankfurter, a universally beloved ballpark staple.
Turns out, our friends north of the border are just as hot-dog crazy as we are, reveling in the phenomenon known as “Loonie Dog,” the Canadian equivalent of what we in the states call “Dollar Dog Night.” Rogers Centre, home of MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, offers this deal about twice a month, with fans turning out in huge numbers, not to see All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer but to gorge themselves on $1 hot dogs. Cholesterol be damned!
As detailed by Sportnet’s Shi Davidi, Jays fans have shown an enormous appetite this year, consuming hot dogs at a historic rate.
Blue Jays fans coming out hot early in Loonie Dog sked, again establishing a new single-game record, a few hundredths short of the DPF high. pic.twitter.com/gsyzaJP9AP
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) May 17, 2023
So much for moderation. That’s enough glizzies to feed Ontario, Manitoba and a good portion of Quebec. Beyond the sodium and empty calories, Canada’s largest city stands united in its shared love of hot dogs, fueling an entire economy with its bimonthly “Loonie Dog” promotion.
Even Joey Chestnut would blush at this patent display of gluttony, though credit fans for getting their money’s worth, sniffing out one of the best deals in all of baseball.
