EXTRA: What would Paul Reuschel hot dog be? Biittner or Jose Cardenal?

It seems that Doug Sohn is a 1970s-era Chicago Cubs fan. How else to explain the fact that the one-time operator of the Hot Doug’s hot dog stand is now serving up products at Wrigley Field named for Cubs ballplayers of that era.

The Carmen Fanzone? A Vienna Beef polish sausage with brown mustard and carmelized onions. Personally, I think there should be a trumpet riff played whenever anyone buys one.



Yes, Paul and Rick were transposed

THE RICK REUSCHEL? Pork sausage with chipotle mustard and pepper jack cheese. Which makes me wonder what a hot dog named for his brother, Paul, would be; perhaps a foot-long with double the same ingredients to acknowledge the girth.

The Dave Kingman? Bacon cheeseburger sausage with cola-barbecue sauce and sharp cheddar cheese. Of course, you’d have to put something unexpected in it to give it a sharp, off-beat and nasty taste – just like Kingman’s personality!

Considering that hot dogs at Wrigley Field have never been anything special (the polish sausage served up to Chicago White Sox fans at U.S. Cellular Field tops anything the Cubs have ever offered to go along with all that Old Style Beer consumed throughout the years), it’s interesting to see something different offered up.

Although I don't know much about these new products, other than that they were first offered Friday and were probably the most interesting aspect of the Cubs' loss to the Miami Marlins. Better later than never, I suppose. Because it seems that the 21st Century sports stadium has become more about the concessions it offers, rather than the activity that takes place on the playing field.

AT $9 APIECE, these hot dogs aren't exactly something we can indulge in too many of. Back in the 1970s, that $9 would have paid for a ticket AND concessions for a person to attend a ballgame.  For the record, Sohn says he plans to rotate the offerings – there will be other variations of sausages on a bun that will be named for other Cubs players of that era.

Which means there had better be a Jose Cardenal (although the idea of the traditional Cuban hot dog that includes ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, prosciutto and mayonnaise -- a variation of the famed Cuban sandwich -- isn’t that appealing) included in the very near future.

Although if they really want to get off-beat, they’d offer up a Larry Biittner. I'm not sure what kind of sausage it would be, but it ought to come with some sort of a discount for any fan who can actually spell the one-time outfielder’s name correctly!
 

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