New (hot) dog comes to town

Hebrew National joins Miller Park lineup

There’s a new dog at Miller Park, and its name is Hebrew National.

That’s the stadium’s new hot dog supplier after the Milwaukee Brewers switched sausage from Klement’s to Johnsonville, starting this season.

Johnsonville doesn’t include a hot dog in its lineup, so another vendor was found to fill that important concession stand void.

The winner, said Brewers spokesman Tyler Barnes, was Hebrew National. Founded in New York City in 1905, the hot dog brand is now part of food giant ConAgra Foods Inc.

The company markets its hot dogs as “kosher,” meaning they are prepared under careful supervision of rabbis. But there is debate within the Jewish community about whether they meet the rigorous standards for kosher foods. That’s especially true in ballparks where they are cooked on grills also used to prepare nonkosher meat, an Ohio-based rabbi, Jason Miller, wrote in a 2012 blog.

The hot dog switch will not affect the Famous Racing Sausages contest staged in the bottom of the sixth inning of each home game.

“There’s no impact on it. The Hot Dog is still in the race,” Barnes said in an email.

“All of the Racing Sausages are part of the Johnsonville partnership, including the Hot Dog.”

A Johnsonville spokeswoman did not respond to a call for comment.

Last season, the Hot Dog was No. 2 in races won, with 22, compared with 27 for the top finisher, the Polish. (The Chorizo won 19, Italian 9 and the Brat 7.)

The Hot Dog was added to the racing sausages lineup in the mid-1990s.

JOURNAL SENTINEL MIKE DE SISTI / MILWAUKEE The Hot Dog helps load the truck Feb. 6 as other newly named Johnsonville Famous Racing Sausages, formerly the Famous Klement's Racing Sausages, were on hand to help the Brewers pack up for spring workouts in Arizona.