Dodging doldrums with Round Rock eats

Plus, a particularly tricky trivia question [Ben's Biz Beat]( [By Benjamin Hill]( January 12, 2023 It is now mid-January. The frenetic rush of the holidays have come and gone and, for many, the doldrums have settled in. Doldrums. What a weird word. Apparently it has nautical connotations, as “doldrums” is a term for windless waters that make progress difficult or possible. I am happy to report that this, the 37th edition of the Ben’s Biz Beat Newsletter, is a doldrum-free zone. The wind is at our back, momentum is on our side and anything is possible. Let’s talk about Minor League Baseball.   [Greetings from Round Rock, Texas]( 2022 BALLPARK FOOD: ROUND ROCK ROUNDUP Welcome to the third installment in a recurring offseason series detailing the concession highlights at each Minor League ballpark that I visited during the 2022 season. At every stop along the way I was joined in culinary solidarity by my [Designated Eater]( a local fan who consumes the ballpark cuisine that my gluten-free diet prohibits.  The third ballpark I visited in 2022 was [Dell Diamond]( home of the Round Rock Express (Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers). It was my first time visiting this Austin-area facility [since 2014]( when I surveyed the team’s new in-house culinary landscape.  My Designated Eater on this Saturday evening was Steve Anness, a resident of nearby Pflugerville. He was dressed to impress, sporting an Express cap and [Llamas de Hickory]( shirt. [Steve Anness, designated eater]( Steve is, of course, a Minor League baseball fan, but that is just one of his many interests. He’s also a ham radio enthusiast, fluent Morse code communicator and, like me, a record collector. (If you’re looking to hit up record stores near Round Rock, Steve recommends [End of an Ear]( and [Waterloo](  Steve began his evening of eating at Fairlane’s Diner, a ’50s diner-themed concession stand featuring a variety of specialty hot dogs. I remembered Fairlane’s from my previous visit to Round Rock, as it is home to the polarizing curiosity that is the Elvis Dog (banana and peanut butter on a bun, drizzled with honey). Elvis%20Dog%20shakes%20up%20Round%20Rock This time around, Steve was unable to sample the Elvis Dog because, yes, they had no bananas. Instead he acquired a hot dog named for another tragic icon of the era, Marilyn Monroe. The Marilyn Monroe Dog is topped with “neon nuclear relish,” shredded cheese and, because some like it hot, red jalapeños.  [Some like the Marilyn Monroe Dog hot]( Steve had some complaints about the “neon nuclear relish,” saying that it watered down the bun and would have benefited from food coloring to make it even more neon. But, on the whole, he deemed it to be a good dog. (Watch him eat it [HERE](  Next up was a pair of items from the Ono Pacific Grill, perhaps the only concession stand in Minor League Baseball with a thatched roof. [Round Rock's Ono Pacific Grill] First up was the ‘Uala Kahiki, otherwise known as “totchos.” This dish features tater tots topped with pulled pork, shredded cheese, pineapple salsa, sour cream and Frank’s Red Hot.  (As an aside: As part of last month’s Winter Meetings-themed newsletter, I showcased totchos and wondered if any teams would add them to their concession menu. Clearly, I was forgetting that the Express already did!) [Express Totchos] Steve declared the ‘Uala Kahiki to be “heavy but good,” a description that applies to the majority of Black Sabbath albums. He was more partial to the other item we obtained from the Pacific Ono Grill: a Portobello Cheesesteak, topped with pineapple salsa, arugula, pepper jack cheese, spicy aioli and sesame seeds. It is served with a side of tater tots, a redundant item considering we already had an order of the ‘Uala Kahiki in our possession. [Portobello Cheesesteak] “This is really, really good,” said Steve, punctuating his praise with a rhythmic head nod. “There’s a little spice in the sauce, and they grill it so there’s a smoky flavor. This would force me to venture away from hot dogs and peanuts. This, I’d order again. There are a lot of people out there who would say, ‘There’s no meat, so it must be [trash].' But it’s impressive, what you can do with a good substitute.”  Steve and I finished up with a return trip to Fairlane’s, where he got a strawberry milkshake served in a tin cup. He loved that as well, praising its creaminess and quality ingredients. He then complained of a brain freeze, at which point I bestowed him with a T-shirt. [Steve's free T-shirt]( Great meeting you, Steve, and thanks for being a Designated Eater. Meanwhile, if you’re planning on attending a game at Dell Diamond, then please know that Steve and I barely scratched the surface when it comes to the Express’s plentiful concession options. For a full list, click [HERE](.     HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TRIVIA! Thanks to everyone who wrote in regarding last week’s question, which was about how portions of Seattle’s Sick’s Stadium were later repurposed for use at Vancouver’s Nat Bailey Stadium. Not surprisingly, it turns out that there are several other examples of defunct MLB stadium components being incorporated into Minor League parks. Perhaps the most notable: Light towers from San Francisco’s Seals Stadium found a second life at Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium.  This week’s question comes from Bob Really:  Name the player whose last professional plate appearance was a home run against a Minor League team he would later manage.  Since this is a particularly tricky question, I’ll add two clues: International League, 1980s.   JOSH JACKSON INTERRUPTS [Josh Jackson hosts Ghosts of the Minors]( This is Josh Jackson, asking all of you in newsletter land for the 1,733rd time to follow reason. I host "The Show Before the Show" podcast’s Ghosts of the Minors segment, in which I challenge you to spot the actual historical Minor League club disguised amidst a pair of frauds. In the last episode, we stole away with the Omaha Robin Hoods. This week, I ask you which of these teams had a European flavor in the Minors of yesteryear: - The Hanover Saxons - The Stowe Alps - The Oswego Netherlands  For the answer, [tune in next time]( won’t you?   QUESTIONS OF MINOR CONCERN Last week’s question: What Minor League ballparks are you hoping to visit in 2023, that you’ve never been to before?  "My dream trip for the summer would be to watch the Great Lakes Loons (my home team) play the Cedar Rapids Kernels in Cedar Rapids and, while we are so near to Dyersville, Iowa, visit the Field of Dreams. ... One of the items on my bucket list is to watch the Loons play at every stadium in the league. Of course, not all in one season!" -- Karen and/or Marty Knox  "I am from New England and a huge Red Sox fan. I am hoping to visit Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. at the end of April and see the Red Sox affiliate, the Greenville Drive." -- Joe Sampsell  "Wife and I are going to make an RV trip east, from Texas, to visit a few parks mid-April through early May, 2023. Of course, two of them will be the Astros A level parks in Fayetteville and Asheville, North Carolina. We will also visit Greenville, Durham, Raleigh, Knoxville and Nashville. I'm counting the days as I am making reservations and trying to geographically plan the trip around the home/away baseball schedules." -- Richard Brinlee  This week’s question: What's your favorite seat or view that you've had at a Minor League park?  The above question was submitted by Ken, who those of you on Twitter may know as @baseballtravelr. Send your responses (and suggestions for future questions) to benjamin.hill@mlb.com   HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE TRIVIA ANSWER! Playing for the Toledo Mud Hens in 1982, Dave Machemer homered against the Rochester Red Wings in his last professional plate appearance. He went on to manage the Red Wings in 1999. Thanks to Bob Really for submitting this week’s trivia question. Submit your own: benjamin.hill@mlb.com.   [IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER, TELL THEM TO SUBSCRIBE HERE](   Contact [Benjamin Hill](mailto:benjamin.hill@mlb.com) [Twitter]( Online]( © 2023 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. [Visit MLB.com](. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners. Subscription required. Blackout and other restrictions may apply. Please review our [Privacy Policy](. You ({EMAIL}) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from [MiLB.com](. Please add info@mail.milblists.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from [MiLB.com]( please [unsubscribe]( or log in and [manage your email subscriptions](. Postal Address: [MiLB.com]( c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.