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]
