The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has released a list of its top 10 vegetarian-friendly baseball parks. The list includes Coors field in Denver, Pro Player Park in Miami and Tampa Bay's Tropicana field.
A PETA survey said that Tropicana Field has the best vegetable-only fare, offering fans vegetable alternatives to hot dogs, pizza and other snacks containing meat or dairy products.
Dan Shannon is an assistant campaigner in PETA's grass roots department. He said that Tampa Bay offers vegetarian fans several options. Mr. Shannon said, "The Devil Rays offer a wide variety of vegetarian options including garden burgers, pasta, vegetarian stir fry, meatless vegetable subs, fruit smoothies. The list goes on an on. Most of this food is really tasty and a lot of the options they are offering are really spectacular."
Second on the list was the Colorado Rockies' home park, Coors field. Rounding out the top five are Toronto's Sky Dome, home of the Blue Jays, Oakland's Network Associates Coliseum - The A's home park, and Pro Player Stadium, the Marlins' home stadium in Florida.
PETA is also hoping that other teams and ballparks will decide to offer more vegetable-based foods to fans.
Josie Daust of the American Meat Institute's Hotdog and Sausage Council says it is a good thing that more choices are being offered, but there is nothing better than a traditional hotdog. "It is good," she said, "that they are telling people where they can have the most choices. That is a good thing. But the market for hot-dogs and sausages is very strong and we do no feel that we need to get in the fray so to speak."
Whether the hot-dogs are made of pork, beef, turkey, or vegetables one thing is for sure, they will remain as much a part of baseball as bats, balls and gloves.