To Be or Nut To Be?

PLAY BALL! Since I was a little girl, one of my favorite pastimes has been going to MLB games (Go Cubbies!) with my father. As soon as we enter into the ballpark, it’s the same story — I immediately want a hotdog … or two as we cheer on our team. Anyone who has ever been to a baseball game knows that peanuts — one of my most severe allergens — also come with the territory. Many fans eat them and then toss the shells onto the ground — just like this couple I was eyeing in the row in front of us at a recent Dodgers vs. Cubs game. Those infected hands then go on to touch seats, banisters, condiment dispensers and other public places. “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!"

I realize that not having peanuts at the ballpark may be slightly unrealistic. The baseball anthem – Take Me Out to the Ball Game – celebrates the purchase of peanuts, so there’s little to no chance of them being completely banned. The positive is that some MLB teams – Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and the Milwaukee Brewers – are offering peanut-controlled zones and party suites during certain games for the 4 million of us in the U.S. with this issue. That’s better than nothing, right?