
I grew up listening to the Pirates in the 1970s. One of the most prolific long ball hitters of the day was Willie Stargell. It was said that when he hit homers he didn’t just punish pitchers, he humiliated them. He holds the record for the longest homerun in numerous ballparks (most of which are now gone).
To kick off the 2016 Virtual Baseball and Hot Dog Tour, I make my first stop at PNC Park and honor one of its most honored and accomplished Players: Wilver “Willie” Stargell. A Hall of Famer and one of the more accomplished sluggers of the 20th century.
The Willie Stargell
I used a soft hoagie bun with the ends cut off. Willie was never svelte, and became pretty hefty later in his career, the soft and fluffy bun is tribute to his unmistakable physique. For my first dog creation I used a chicken frank instead of beef to tie in his “chicken on the hill” gimmick for selling chicken. To force fans to remember those unsightly uniforms of the late 70s I used not one, but two types of mustard. It is topped off with black olives to complete the Pirates team colors of yellow and black.

Beer Pairing: If you live in the Three Rivers area grab an Iron City beer to wash down the Willie Stargell.