With all of the great foods in Philly, you’d think that one of these iconic foods like cheesesteaks or pretzels would be the most popular ballpark snack at a baseball game. But no, it’s hotdogs. At every Philadelphia Phillies home game, the beloved Philly Phanatic drives out on a vehicle and shoots a cannon of not t-shirts, but hotdogs into the crowd, and fans go crazy for them.
When the Phillies home schedule was released in January, Phillies fans were baffled that the ceremonious Hatfield Dollar Dog Night promotion was not included. There was still hope that this glizzy deal would be announced later on, but about a week ago, the Phillies took to X to announce that the 27-year-old Dollar Dog Night was coming to an end. The hotdog deal will be replaced by Hatfield Phillies Franks BOGO Night.
What is Dollar Dog Night?
Dollar Dog Night is exactly as it sounds — one hotdog for one dollar. As a southeast Pennsylvania native myself, I can tell you that all of the rambunctious, rowdy Philly sports fan stereotypes you’ve heard are true, and Dollar Dog Night was no exception. During this promotion, fans would often gorge themselves with as many glizzies as they could in a Nathan’s style competition, or buy nine hotdogs and eat one during every inning of the game in Taylor Swift Eras Tour type fashion.
Tickets for these were often more valuable than, say, a ticket to see the Phillies play the Los Angeles Angels when double-sided player Shohei Ohtani was pitching. In other words, this hotdog promotion could drive Phillies fans into buying tickets more than the baseball game itself. On Dollar Dog Night, every seat in Citizens Bank Park was occupied. But most importantly, the promotion was a cultural phenomenon in Philly, a rite of passage for any die hard Phillies fan. You weren’t a Phillies fan if you hadn’t been to Dollar Dog Night.
Why did Dollar Dog Night end?
The food lines at Citizens Bank Park during Dollar Dog Night were often extremely long, and because fans ordered so many hotdogs, it wasn’t uncommon for a stand to run out. But the more pressing reason is that at a game last April against the Miami Marlins, some unruly fans used the low-priced hotdogs as ammunition, throwing them at each other and even onto the field. Multiple fans were ejected, and the story made national news. This might be the most Philly thing I’ve ever heard, and honestly doesn’t surprise me after Philadelphia police had to grease lamp posts so that citizens would stop climbing them during the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl-winning run.
John Weber, vice president of ticketing for the Phillies, admitted in a statement that the food fight incident did play a part in the decision to cancel Dollar Dog Night: “It’s the concourse, the crowds of everybody being at the same X amount of stands. But obviously, you know, the throwing was a little bit of a tipping point.”
What are Hatfield Phillies Franks BOGO Nights?
The Hatfield Phillies Franks BOGO Nights will take place on April 2 versus the Cincinnati Reds, and April 16 against the Colorado Rockies. This means that patrons of Citizens Bank Park can get two hotdogs for $5, but that’s still 60% less hotdog for your buck. With the price increase, hopefully fans won’t be inclined to buy a hotdog without the intention of just eating it.
However, Shake Shack announced that it would pick up the $1 hotdog tradition, selling them during these two nights at locations in downtown Philadelphia: University City, Midtown Village, and Center City. No purchase is necessary for the promotion, although there will be a four hotdog limit. The burger chain just had one comment to make: “One rule — no throwing.”