Hot dogs with parachutes? How the Mariners' promotion came to life (2024)

At first glance, it looks like a fluffy cloud floating down from the sky. Perhaps a dove, or a white balloon bouncing in the breeze.

But the Seattle Mariners’ latest home field promotion is none of those things. It’s a hot dog wearing a parachute, and fans are leaping (literally) at the chance to catch the classic stadium snacks as they fall from the sky in T-Mobile Park.

Advertisement

“Hot Dogs from Heaven,” as the Mariners’ marketing team dubbed it, is the latest attempt by a Major League Baseball team to push the envelope for its in-game promotions. On Saturday in the eighth inning, the marketing team let 75 hot dogs fly from the upper deck as Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” played throughout the park, provoking fans to chase them down like foul balls. It was the second time Seattle ran the promotion this season.

Everyone’s talking about the breathtaking phenomenon that graced the skies of the northern hemisphere last weekend… Hot Dogs from Heaven 🌭 pic.twitter.com/sdwc7cmwjw

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 13, 2024

Incorporating food into promotions is not a new concept. Most famously, the Phillie Phanatic has long fired frankfurters from his Hot Dog Launcher at Phillies games. But Seattle puts a new, airy spin on it. Mariners vice president of fan experience Malcolm Rogel came up with the idea during the offseason, finding inspiration in childhood memories of fireworks with plastic toy soldiers tied to parachutes that would float down after the tiny pyrotechnic explosion.

Applying the same concept to a hot dog took testing reminiscent of a middle school science fair project. Rogel found the precise weight of the dog, bun, condiment packets and packaging before plugging the number into a model rocket website that told him how big the parachute needed to be to reach the ground safely.

“You could put in the ounces of your rocket — in this case, our rocket is a hot dog — and then it said you need between a 36- and 40-inch parachute,” he said.

The team first tested the idea with a makeshift parachute cut from a plastic bag. True to science, it worked, so Rogel called the Mariners’ procurement department to request they find a manufacturer that could produce the real deal. They acquired six sample parachutes, and for the next test, Rogel and his team stood at the bottom of the 300 level in T-Mobile Park. They didn’t have a hot dog but used a bottle of water that was equal in weight.

Advertisement

“It just glided down so peacefully and so nicely,” Rogel said. “We were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is awesome!’”

By the time the Mariners were ready to launch “Hot Dogs from Heaven,” they tested how hard to throw the hot dogs, how the parachutes would carry if the wind was blowing, which direction to toss the dogs to avoid running into the net surrounding the ballpark and how to ensure the precious cargo would arrive at its destination warm and intact.

On April 13, the debut of the dog toss, Rogel still had some doubts.

“I was so nervous standing up there getting ready to throw. I’m like, ‘OK, what’s going to happen? Are they going to land in the wrong spot? Is this going to be a disaster?’”

It was a success, judging by the enjoyment of the fans at the game, those watching videos on social media and the family behind Hempler’s Foods, the Ferndale, Wash.-based company that provides the hot dogs. Kestin Hempler-Liberato, Hempler’s brand ambassador and granddaughter of founder Hans Hempler, said the family has felt personally connected to the promotion. It feels like her father Richard, known as “Opa” to his grandchildren before his passing five years ago, is part of the fun.

“All the grandkids are like, ‘Oh my gosh, Opa is so in heaven just gliding in this whole activation.’ He liked fun stuff like this and loved interacting with fans, so it’s just amazing,” she said. “It brings tears to all of our eyes.”

The first iteration featured 50 hot dog projectiles, with 25 more added Saturday. Rogel said the Mariners plan to run the promotion 15-20 more times this season.

The team hopes to send 100 hot dogs skydiving on one night in the future, and there’s no shortage of volunteers to toss.

Said Rogel: “Everyone in the front office wants to go and throw the hot dogs now.”

Required reading

  • Glow-in-the-dark baseball? Collegiate summer league team to host ‘cosmic’ games under blacklights

(Photo: Ben VanHouten / Seattle Mariners)

Tess DeMeyer is a Staff Editor for The Athletic working on the live/breaking news team. Prior to joining The Athletic, she worked as an associate digital producer at Sports Illustrated. Tess attended Brown University and originates from a small town outside of Savannah, GA. Follow Tess on Twitter @tess_demeyer

Hot dogs with parachutes? How the Mariners' promotion came to life (2024)

FAQs

What is the official hot dog of the Seattle Mariners? ›

FUN FACT: The Fletcher's Logo was the first brand the Seattle Mariners placed on the field of play and it happened in 1995 so one might corelate the Mariners success of 1995 to the Fletcher's Beef Franks… just saying...

Who brought hot dogs to baseball? ›

Some credit German immigrant Chris Von der Ahe with starting the hot dog craze in the 1890s when he started selling franks during Browns games at his stadium in St. Louis.

What kind of hot dogs do they sell at baseball games? ›

As the official hot dog of Major League Baseball, we couldn't be more excited for the start of the season—and those delicious stadium franks, of course! For decades, the Nathan's Famous original all-beef frank has been the official hot dog of many teams around the league.

How many hot dogs are bought at all the major league baseball games for one season? ›

After research, we found the average number of hot dogs sold at ballparks are between 24 and 25.5 million. Then we took 319,530 and multiplied that by 81 because every team has 81 home regular season games 319,530x81= 25,881,930 hot dogs sold in one season at all MLB ballparks.

What is the hot dog capital of the US? ›

The city also established its identity. New Castle is known both as the "hot dog capital of the world" and the "fireworks capital of America". Its chili dogs are the product of Greek immigrants who came to New Castle in the early 20th century and established restaurants along with their homes.

Why is a hotdog called a hotdog? ›

These immigrants brought not only sausages to America, but dachshund dogs. The name most likely began as a joke about the Germans' small, long, thin dogs. In fact, even Germans called the frankfurter a "little-dog" or "dachshund" sausage, thus linking the word "dog" to their popular concoction.

Who owns Ballpark Franks? ›

Tyson Foods

Did Derby invent the hot dog? ›

Derby-born Harry M. Stevens turned a hot sausage into a million-dollar fortune and gave the world the hot dog. Harry is also accredited with designing the baseball scorecard (still used to this day), and with pioneering the drinking of soda through a straw.

Does Disney sell hot dogs? ›

Slide into home with this delicious chili-cheese all-beef hot dog. Hit a homerun with America's favorite baseball foods—corn dog nuggets, fries and a soda—at this classic stop on Main Street, U.S.A. Step up to the plate for a tasty selection of snacks―including the classic chili-cheese hot dog.

How to make hot dogs taste like ballpark? ›

Directions
  1. Chop the onions and soak in water for about 15 minutes. Drain well.
  2. Split the buns lengthwise and spread butter inside.
  3. Place a hot dog in each bun. Place in toaster and cook for 6 minutes on Pastry mode.
  4. Once out of the toaster, top with onions, ketchup, and mustard.

What is the average price of a hot dog at a baseball game? ›

Average concession stand prices in Major League Baseball from 2010 to 2023 (in U.S. dollars)
CharacteristicBeerHot dog
20236.985.32
20226.875.13
20216.725.32
20206.15.1
9 more rows
Sep 21, 2023

What MLB team sells the most hot dogs? ›

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers rule the majors in hot dog sales, with fans eating more than 2.5 million hot dogs each season. They've featured the Dodger Dog since 1962.

Are more hot dogs sold than MLB? ›

700% more hot dogs are sold at Costco annually than at all Major League Baseball stadiums combined.

What kind of hot dog is a Seattle dog? ›

While there is some debate as to what exactly constitutes a Seattle dog, the general consensus is a hot dog in a squishy white bun, a squirt of cream cheese and a smattering of grilled onions.

What are the hot dogs of the ocean? ›

Due to its wide popularity and omnipresence in a wide range of seafood dishes, Surimi is often called as the “Hot Dog of The Sea”. Meaning 'ground meat', Surimi was originally made from the meat of the Alaskan Pollock, a fish that was not traditionally eaten.

What kind of hot dogs are served at Busch stadium? ›

This is an all-beef hot dog topped with fresh-made hash browns, taco meat and two sunny-side-up fried eggs. It weighs roughly one-third of a pound, and fans can complete it with a variety of fresh cold and hot toppings. You'll find this near section 132.

What is in a mariner dog? ›

With no fillers — just juicy beef — they're gluten-free and bursting with home run flavor. The original Northwest beef frank favorite, our special blend of quality spices make them the designated hit of the season, and we've been thrilling M's fans since the 1990s with the official hot dog of the Seattle Mariners.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Arielle Torp

Last Updated:

Views: 5606

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arielle Torp

Birthday: 1997-09-20

Address: 87313 Erdman Vista, North Dustinborough, WA 37563

Phone: +97216742823598

Job: Central Technology Officer

Hobby: Taekwondo, Macrame, Foreign language learning, Kite flying, Cooking, Skiing, Computer programming

Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.