Ball Park Franks is an American brand of

hot dogs A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

made by

Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork after JBS S.A. It annually ...

and popularized in 1958 by the Detroit Tigers of

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. Ball Park Frank is the most consumed hot dog in America with 94.9 million consumers in 2017. In 2022, Ball Park Franks were the leading selling refrigerated frankfurter with 160.7 million dollars in sales, second behind was

Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut producer known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon, ham, and Lunchables products. The company is a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company and based in Chicago, Illinois. History Early years German im ...

with 98.4 million in sales.

History

The history of Ball Park Franks began in 1958 when the Detroit Tigers became dissatisfied with the hot dogs being sold in their park. In 1959, a meat-packing company from Livonia, Michigan, called Hygrade Food Products owned and run by the Slotkin family, won a competition to be the exclusive supplier of hot dogs to the Tigers and Tiger Stadium. Hygrade employee Gus Hauff invented the recipe for the Ball Park Frank in 1958, which to this day remains a secret. Meanwhile, Hygrade launched a contest for its employees in order to come up with the best brand name for their stadium hot dogs, which was won by saleswoman Mary Ann Kurk, with the name "Ball Park Franks". After becoming the official hot dog of the Detroit Tigers, and the official Briggs Stadium hot dog, Ball Park Franks went on sale commercially. In 1985, Cincinnati schoolteacher Bob Wood visited every major league park, rating each on its hot dogs. In his book, ''Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks: and All the Wieners in Between'', Wood ranked the Ball Park Frank at #1, citing that “A ballpark frank with a little mustard on the stick is a dream fulfilled. And proof that worthy experiences never die in the tradition of a fine baseball park.” In 2008 Ball Park added numerous varieties to their hot dog lineup, perhaps in response to the healthier eating trend sweeping through the United States throughout the early 2000s. Sara Lee acquired Hygrade from Hanson Industries in 1989. In 2014, Tyson Foods acquired

Hillshire Brands The Hillshire Brands Company was an American food company based in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to its acquisition by Tyson Foods, the company employed over 9,000 people and generated nearly $4 billion in annual sales. History Founding and early yea ...

, the corporation formerly known as the Sara Lee Corporation, and with it, the Ball Park Franks brand.

Varieties

Ball Park franks currently come in the following varieties: * Prime Beef Franks * Angus Beef Franks * Beef Franks * Classic Franks * Turkey Franks

References

External links

Official website
Sara Lee Corporation brands Brand name hot dogs Baseball culture Tyson Foods {{food-product-stub