The "Star Of The Game: The Kunkleburger" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in line with my grandson Caden and his friend Evan waiting to order something to eat at the Kunkle Field concession stand in Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania.  Tonight is the second round of games in the LNP Junior-MIdget Tournament sponsored by the Lancaster, PA local newspaper.  

The shadows are growing longer as the game begins.

This year's end-of-the-season baseball champion- ship tournament is the 73rd in the newspaper's history with the last 30 or so tourna- ments at Kunkle Field.  The Junior-Midget category is for boys, and a few girls, who are between the ages of 12 and 14 with basepaths 75 feet in distance.  Caden and Evan played together this year on the Mountville Braves, but didn't qualify for the tournament.  Another Mountville team, the Angels, did qualify and are playing in the first end of a double header against the Cocalico Eagles.  We arrived before game time so we could grab a bite to eat before we found our seats in the bleachers on the visitors side of the diamond.  Evan opted for the "Traveling Taco" while Caden ordered the Kunkledog which is a giant hotdog with chili on top of it.  

I had my heart set on a Kunkle Burger, but after seeing someone in front of me buy one I changed my mind.  The Kunkle Burger sells for $6.00 and is an 8-ounce burger topped with American cheese a large slice of tomato and lettuce.  You can add some onions if you wish.  For years they sold chicken corn soup, but a year or so ago they stopped making the soup, probably due to the fact that people didn't want hot soup on a hot summer day.  

The "Kunkleburger"

I loved the stuff, but I eventually was in the minority.  I ended up with a hotdog and a rootbeer float.  Wasn't long before we were sitting on the third-base bleachers next to the Mountville dugout.  The game went back and forth for most of the 7 innings, but that didn't stop Caden and Evan from heading back a few more times to the concession stand for more food.  And, after seeing my rootbeer float, they each had to have one also.  By games' end, our team came up short by one run, 14-13.  Guess we will have to wait until next year.  Perhaps Caden and Evan will be on the team that makes it to the tournament and I'll have to eat by myself.  And, maybe next year I will try the Kunkleburger.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.