Hotdogs, Baseball, And Babe Ruth

Santa said, "Yes, I know those boys did love hotdogs. There was one young man that joined a gymnastics team. He would stop at George's Hotdog Stand every time he either was on his way there or on his way home. He loved doing all kinds of things there on the parallel bars, the pommel horse, rings etc. He would practice at home and do handstands on chairs. Funny he didn't break his neck," he chuckled.

Mrs. Claus said, "You know I love hotdogs too. Whoever invented those things are alright in my book. I love them with mustard and pickles on them. I know you like them loaded with everything but the kitchen sink," she laughed.

Santa kind of tilted his head to one side and said, "You know I was watching years ago when the first Greece immigrants came through Ellis Island in New York. From 1892-1924 over twelve million people came through those gates. It was open for sixty years. Those were sad days. Greece had gone bankrupt and over three hundred thousand folks came through there to start new lives.

"These poor folks waiting in long lines for medical and legal inspections to determine if they were fit for entry into the United States. The Greeks knew how to make a really good hotdog let me tell you. They would put ground pork or beef with a sauce Oh my they were good."  There was a German man whose name was Charles Feltman that pushed a food cart through the sand dunes at Coney Island. He cooked sausages later called hotdogs without any bread or bun. He sold them for ten cents a piece. He decided to serve them on a bun for easier eating and avoiding any silverware. He hired a man to slice the buns for him. His name was Nathan Handweker. He was from Poland and he had his grandmother's secret recipe for a sauce for sausages. He had a dream of opening up his own cafe to sell them. He sliced hotdog buns all day long. He slept on the kitchen floor for eleven dollars a week. He saved three hundred dollars and started Nathan's Hotdog Stands which became very famous. He charged only five cents for his hotdogs. It is said that some famous actors namely Jimmy Durante and Eddie Canter encouraged him, but I'm not sure about that. 

I have it under pretty good authority that there was an angel that came to visit Nathan and left him a magic ruby. He did very well and became famous as did one of the Greek immigrants George Tsagarelis. He came through Ellis Island in 1892. In 1918 He served one of his hotdogs to the King of England. He had a hotdog stand in Worcester, Ma. where that young man made many stops for a much needed hotdog after gymnastics practice as well as his brothers and sister.

 In Baltimore, Maryland there was a baby born whose name would be famous for hundreds of years. He loved to play baseball. His name was George H. Ruth Jr.  He was lovingly called Babe Ruth. The year was 1895.

He would play baseball for the Red Sox in Boston, Massachusetts and later for the New York Yankees where he held the record of homeruns for many years. When the Red Sox sold him to the New York Yankees they did not win another game until 2004. It was called the curse of the Bambino. 

Babe Ruth loved hotdogs. He would eat four hotdogs and four bottles of soda before each game. He also loved Feltman's Coney Island hotdogs. He was known to eat dozens of them at a time. As well as baseball, Babe Ruth loved to bowl; duckpin bowling which is similar to candlepin bowling. You know sometimes I had to put him on my naughty list. One time he ate so many hotdogs he had to go to the hospital, but other times he was on my nice list. I even gave him a job of being my assistant one year. He wore my suit with pride and listened to the children tell him their wishes for Christmas."

In the 1890's a German immigrant Christ Von de Ahe began to peddle the bread and tubes at the ball park he owned in St. Louis. Others say a British man Harry Steven was responsible. He sold ice cream and decided to switch to what he called dachshund sausages on a very cold day. Therefore the term hotdog.

Mrs. Claus sighed and said, "What happened to the ruby? Did Babe Ruth ever have it or if he did, did he also give it away?...

https://youtu.be/ZWOgcj1EwLQ

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Baseball was so popular that in 1908 that the copyright office received applications for a copyright on this song. Jack Norworth and  Albert Von Tilzer.