Ball Park Franks is an American brand of

hot dog A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...

and

hamburger A hamburger (or simply a burger) consists of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis ...

buns and patties 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 broiler industry, chicken, beef, and pork after JBS ...

and popularized in 1958 by the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

. Ball Park Frank is the most consumed hot dog in America with 91.04 million consumers in 2020. In 2024, Ball Park Franks were the leading selling refrigerated frankfurter with US$222.37 million in sales, second behind was

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

with US$136.88 million in sales.

History

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). 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. 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 or salesman Bill Willtsie. In 1965, the company's tagline, "They plump when you cook them", was developed by the W.B. Doner agency, and the product was launched nationally. 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." 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.

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
Products introduced in 1958 Sara Lee Corporation brands Brand name hot dogs Baseball culture Tyson Foods Detroit Tigers {{food-product-stub