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There aren’t many baseball stadiums—or, for that matter, sporting venues—that are steeped in the amount of history and tradition that surrounds Fenway Park.
The Boston Red Sox have called that hallowed ground home since Fenway opened all the way back in 1912, and while it’s been subjected to plenty of changes since then, its most iconic elements—including the Green Monster (and the manual scoreboard it houses), Pesky’s Pole, and its uncomfortably tiny wooden seats—have remained largely unchanged.
Fenway Park should be on every baseball fan’s bucket list, and if you’re going to make the trek to the stadium nestled in the middle of downtown Boston, there are a few staples you’ll want to incorporate into your visit—including the “Fenway Franks” peddled by hot dog vendors and concession stands.
However, if you’re one of the many people who would risk being banned from the city of Chicago for putting ketchup on a hot dog, you may be in for a rude surprise thanks to the miniature scandal the Red Sox have on their hands.
According to WBZ, Red Sox fans have begun to call attention to the supposedly subpar condiment they’re forced to settle for after Fenway Park switched to a sugar and gluten-free ketchup after switching suppliers and signing a three-year partnership with True Made Foods in 2020.
While this isn’t necessarily a recent development, it’s come to the forefront thanks to the reporters and spectators who’ve hopped online to air their grievances—including some who’ve apparently rolled into Fenway with their own ketchup packets.
At the Winter Classic, I literally went into the media room and poured out a big pile of Heinz ketchup onto a plate for my wife and son so they weren't subjected to the ketchup abomination they serve in the Fenway stands. It's that bad.
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) April 6, 2023
Fenway @fenwaypark @RedSox you need to change your ketchup. It’s gross. Bringing my own ketchup packets to the game so I can eat a hot dog and enjoy it. The ketchup at the park quite actually ruins the food. Change it.
— DJ CJ (@cbut_135) April 4, 2023
Fenway ketchup is weird.
— Cj 🍻 (@K1NGofdiamonds) April 2, 2023
I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to suggest that every single sporting venue should simply serve Heinz by default, as there’s a reason that particular brand has a stranglehold on the ketchup industry.
I can understand why the Red Sox might want to offer fans a healthier option, but if you’re ordering a hot dog at a baseball game, nutrition is probably the last thing on your mind.