The Otters have outdone themselves by teaming up with two Evansville staples to create the most perfectly "Evansville" dog.

Why are Hot Dogs and Baseball the Perfect Combination?

Hot Dogs and baseball are an iconic duo, and have you ever wondered why that is? I've been to many baseball games in my life, and there's just something about a ballpark hot dog that hits different.  I've always wondered where the tradition of hot dogs at the ballpark started, and it turns out, it's kind of a complicated, long story.

MLB has a great article about the history of ballpark hot dogs and how baseball and hot dogs became an iconic duo, and you can read that here.  In a nutshell, it seems concession stands at baseball games started back in the early to mid-1800s when the game was in its infancy and people needed something to eat while watching the game.  Street vendors would set up near home plate and serve items that were easy to eat while enjoying a game, handheld food like sandwiches did best.

However, we can thank Great Britain for bringing hot dogs to the ballpark.

 But we do know how hot dogs became ubiquitous at ballparks, and we have Great Britain to thank. Harry Stevens emigrated from London to Ohio in the 1880s, and almost immediately fell in love with baseball. He saw the demand for snacks at the ballpark, and decided that all he needed was the business model: one company that could provide a whole stadium's worth of food, making sure every fan got what they wanted. Before long, Harry M Stevens Inc. was bringing hot dogs, soda and peanuts to parks across the country -- and America took its first step down the road towards hot dog cannons.

Now that we know how hot dogs got to the ballpark, let's dive into the Evansville Otters and their latest menu offering, the Otter Dog.

The Most Perfectly "Evansville" Hot Dog

The Evansville Otters have their 2024 season underway bringing baseball to historic Bosse Field, and there's no better place to be on a warm summer night! During each homestand, the Evansville Otters create a unique food item that is only on the menu during that limited time.

This week the Otters are bringing back their wildly popular Otter Dog and they teamed up with two Evansville businesses to make it perfect.

A collaboration with two of our favorite Jacobsville businesses, Doc’s Sports Bar and The Hickory Pit Stop Barbecue, this ballpark dog features pickles, slow smoked pork shoulder, pickled onions, sour cream, and Hickory Pit’s famous sauce. The Otter Dog will be available this week during our series with the Schaumburg Boomers for $10.00, served with French Fries. Get one before it’s gone again!

The Hickory Pit Stop and Doc's Sports Bar have certainly created the most perfectly "Evansville" hot dog ever.   You can get it this week at Bosse Field, get your tickets here!