A baseball game just isn’t the same if you’re not feasting on a fresh hot dog. This American staple has been served at baseball games for over 100 hundred years and is a menu item at many restaurants. However, not many have stopped to think about how the tradition originally started. Here’s a brief history of the ballpark frank.

Origin of the Hot Dog

Hot dogs can be traced as far back as 64 A.D., to the time of the Roman Emperor Nero. According to legend, his cook, Gaius, may have been the first to link sausages upon declaring, “I have found something of great importance.”

From there, historians believe these sausages made their way into present-day Germany by the 15th century, where the town of Frankfurt created the “frankfurter.” Throughout the years, Germans made these delectable sausages their own, serving them with sauerkraut and beer. 

Hot dogs made their first debut in the United States in the 1860s, during which German immigrants sold these sausages in New York City from a pushcart. They called them “dachshund sausages.”

When Were Hot Dogs First Served at Baseball Parks?

Sausages have been served at baseball parks since 1893. Historians believe that a St. Louis restaurant and bar owner, Chris Von de Ahe, started the tradition. He immigrated to the U.S. from Germany and owned the St. Louis Browns, which was a major league baseball team at the time.

The term “hot dog” was thought to have been formulated in 1902 during a New York Giants baseball game. Concessionaire Harry Stevens wasn’t making enough money selling cold items, so he asked his salesmen to purchase all of the dachshund sausages they could get their hands on and the same amount of rolls.

Tad Dorgan, a cartoonist for the New York Evening Journal, heard vendors shouting “They’re red hot! Get your dachshund sausages while they’re red hot!” He didn’t know how to spell “dachshund,” so he just wrote “hot dog” in the cartoon he drew for readers.

If you’re in the mood for a tasty hot dog or other delectable foods, stop by Gilly’s Sports Bar in Atlanta, GA. The locally owned and operated restaurant and bar has been serving delicious foods and beverages for over 20 years. As you’re eating your hot dog or sipping on a craft beer, you can watch your favorite team on one of their 20 big-screen TVs. If you would like to learn more information about their menu, call (770) 817-2789 or visit their website.