Baseball Stadiums Kick The Nuts To Welcome Allergic Fans

Mr. Peanut isn't as friendly as he looks. (Flickr user Digiart2001)

Ballparks around the country are creating peanut-free zones on special nights during the season—not because peanut consumption is a coarse habit enjoyed by only the filthiest vulgarians—but because an increasing number of Americans are severely allergic to peanuts. Reuters reports that The Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres and New York Mets "are among the roughly half of all big league teams to host at least one nut-controlled game this year." What's next, changing the lyrics of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to "Buy me some peanuts and EpiPens"?

For the nut-control games, workers must thoroughly clean the designated peanut-free area, hand washing all the chairs with bleach and water, and power-washing the metal deck and rails around the seats. Some people with nut allergies, particularly children, can have a bad reaction even from inhaling the lingering peanut dust in the air! "It's like being in a horror movie," the mother of an 11-year-old girl allergic to peanuts tells Reuters. "You hear the crunch of shells underfoot and you see people cracking open shells." It reminds us of that terrifying scene from Stanley Kubrick's The Shelling when little Danny gets strangled by Mr. Peanut in Room 237.

Jokes aside, this is obviously a serious medical condition, and that's why ballparks also keep additional medical teams at the ready on their nut-controlled nights. If you're interested in rooting for one of our local teams sans nuts, it looks like you're out of luck, because the Mets already had their special night back in May (shocker: they lost), and it seems the Yankees don't even cater to this demographic. (They simply have far too many nuts in the stands to control, obviously.) [Via Grub St]

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By John Del Signore in Food on June 29, 2011 1:03 PM

Comments [rss]

Daryl

it's called natural selection

BarrioPuente

Not my problem if your allergic to something... Give me nuts!

Guest

As the filthiest vulgarian I am highly offended

You used to be able to smoke and eat peanuts right in your seat that didn't even have a cup holder take care to have your beer between your legs or under your seat.

Now lost

All nothing

Mudville isn't just sad

It's now a black and white Pleasantville.

Ryan Willis

It happens all the time. Just don't throw anything
else out onto the field. You could also just toss the ball to a little
kid. They don't care who hit it. Just that they got a ball.http://maxcleansefacts.com/

River Avenue Blues

This is ridiculous. It is not the responsibility of anyone except the allergic individual to police whether or not a peanut is around them.

Peanut_Butter

Wrong. That's just nuts.

Politburo

No one is forcing the clubs to have nut-free nights.

ogie

what's next making kids in school wash they hands and mouth after lunch..... oh wait already happened.

NYDirk

Got any nuts?

Roger_the_Shrubber

I remember as a kid, when the game was over and you were walking out, you'd be stepping on peanut shells all the way up the aisle - crunch, crunch, crunch.

Roger_the_Shrubber

When they sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame, will they change the lyrics, "buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks...." ?

splicernyc

Can they offer bubble rentals to people who are that allergic?

splicernyc

And let me know when they are going to create a drunken lout free zone. I'm rather allergic to that sort of behavior.

hashedz

You would be S.O.L. at a MLB game in either case.

It's $5.00 for a bag of peanuts, and beers range between $9.50-$12.00 per cup.
Illness and loutishness be damned! There's just too much money at stake to cater to the allergic or teetotaller public.