When I write a Ballpark Mysteries book, I always try to include cool stuff about the stadium, the team, and the city. So I had a little bit of fun when I was writing Ballpark Mysteries #9, The Philly Fake, and was able to include a scene at the beginning that included a hot dog launcher (or hot dog cannon). The hot dog launcher shoots foil-wrapped hot dogs high up into the seats of the Philies’ stadium. It’s fun to watch (especially because the Philies mascot, the Phillie Phanatic does it), and it’s fun to write about.
But I was really tickled when I was researching the book and came across this documentary of the Hatfield Hot Dog Launcher. It’s a short (and VERY funny) documentary that shows the development of a major new invention for mankind–the hot dog launcher. If you’ve got a few minutes, I highly recommend watching it! (And get ready to catch some hot dogs if you go to a Philies game