Dog Days
John Kruk nearly knocks himself out during mid-game hot dog toss, recovers to don ceremonial hot-dog hat, is true warrior
John Kruk might moonlight as a cheesesteak magnate, but make no mistake, the Phillies legend appreciates a good hot dog too. Steamed, grilled, mustard, ketchup. It makes no difference to Kruk, and that commitment to the mystery meat tube was on full display at Dollar Dog Night on Tuesday when it nearly cost him his life. Behold.
That was the scene at the mid-game hot-dog toss at Citizens Bank Ballpark on Tuesday. With the Phillie Phanatic in the booth, flinging his hairy limbs like a wacky, waving, inflatable arm-flailing tube man, Kruk bent over to pick up his ceremonial headdress. In the commotion, however, he wallpoed his CPU on one of the NBC Sports boards in the booth. He was staggered. He was down for the count. The ref slapped the mat. ONE, TWO … but then Kruk popped back up, dazed and confused but ready to soldier on like the Spartan warrior that he is.
It seemed pretty obvious that Kruk was seeing Tweetie birds, but you don’t become a Philly sports icon without popping every brain cell in your head like a sheet of bubblewrap at one point or another. So Kruk dug deep, donned the hot-dog hat, and made the best of it. For his brave sacrifice in the line of duty, his city—and his nation—thank him.