Ball Park Franks
 | |
.jpg) | |
| Owner | Tyson Foods |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1958 |
| Related brands | Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Kahn's, Bryan |
| Previous owners | Hygrade Food Products |
| Website | https://www.ballparkbrand.com/ |
Ball Park Franks is an American brand of hot dog and hamburger buns and patties made by Tyson Foods and popularized in 1958 by the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. Ball Park Frank is the most consumed hot dog in America with 94.9 million consumers in 2017.[1] In 2022, Ball Park Franks were the leading selling refrigerated frankfurter with 160.7 million dollars in sales,[2] second behind was Oscar Mayer with 98.4 million in sales.
History
[edit]In 1957, Hygrade Food Products, a Detroit-based meatpacking company owned by the Slotkin family, under the direction of Hugo Slotkin, acquired the exclusive contract to supply hot dogs at Detroit's Tiger Stadium (then known as Briggs Stadium).[3][4] In response, a Hygrade sausage maker, Gus Hauff, developed a specific formulation, incorporating veal and a finer emulsion, creating a larger, one-eighth-pound hot dog, in contrast to the park's previous one-tenth-pound offerings.[4][5] The product's popularity at the stadium facilitated its subsequent commercial distribution in 1959 as "Ball Park Franks." The name's origin is subject to differing accounts, with attribution given to either saleswoman Mary Ann Kurk[5][6][7] or salesman Bill Willtsie.[4] Soon after, the company's tagline, "They plump when you cook them", was developed by the W.B. Doner agency, and the product was launched nationally.[4]
In 1985, Cincinnati schoolteacher Bob Wood visited every major league park, rating each on its hot dogs. In his 1989 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."[7][8]
Sara Lee acquired Hygrade from Hanson Industries in 1989. In 2014, Tyson Foods acquired Hillshire Brands, the corporation formerly known as the Sara Lee Corporation, and with it, the Ball Park Franks brand.[9][unreliable source][10][11]
Varieties
[edit]
Ball Park franks currently come in the following varieties:[12]
- Prime Beef Franks
- Angus Beef Franks
- Beef Franks
- Classic Franks
- Turkey Franks
References
[edit]- ^ "U.S.: Most eaten brands of frankfurters and hot dogs 2020".
- ^ "Refrigerated frankfurter brands sales of the U.S. in 2022". Statista. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ^ "Our Story". Ball Park Brand. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Walsh, Tom (November 2, 2014). "Book preserves history of Hygrade and Ball Park franks". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ^ a b "Ball Park Franks: A Michigan-made tradition". Michigan Public Radio. February 12, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ^ "Detroit's Ballpark Franks are deliciously legendary". Detroit Athletic Co. Blog. 2012-06-25. Archived from the original on 2018-05-17. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
- ^ a b Bak, Richard (June 25, 2012). "Detroit's Ballpark Franks are deliciously legendary". Vintage Detroit Collection. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ^ Wood, Bob (1989). Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks: And All the Weiners In Between. McGraw-Hill. p. 218. ISBN 9780070717008.
- ^ Team, Trefis. "Hillshire Brands Finalizes Merger With Tyson Foods". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ Bak, Richard (2012-06-25). "Detroit's Ballpark Franks are deliciously legendary". Vintage Detroit Collection. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ^ "Tyson adds new Ball Park frank to its roster | 2021-04-07 | MEAT+POULTRY". www.meatpoultry.com. Retrieved 2022-12-15.
- ^ "Ball Park® - Home". www.ballparkfranks.com. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
External links
[edit] | This brand-name food or drink product–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |