ST. LOUIS, June 27 (UPI) -- Thomas G. Arthur, who helped create the famous Dodger Dog foot-long hot dogs for Los Angeles baseball fans, has died at age 84.
The Los Angeles Times reported Arthur, who ran the food concessions at Dodger Stadium for 29 years, died of a heart attack earlier this month in St. Louis.
Arthur and his staff could sell as many as 50,000 of the extra-long hot dogs during a full-attendance game at Dodge Stadium.
"We look for the guy who makes up his mind on the way to the park that he's going to have a hot dog," Arthur was quoted as saying to explain his approach.
"The Dodger Dog was Tom's idea," said Peter O'Malley, whose family owned the Dodgers for 40 years, The Times said.
Arthur was born in Los Angeles but grew up in New York City. His father owned theaters in the Midwest and East. Arthur graduated from Principia College in Illinois before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942. He became a B-24 navigator and flew 50 missions over North Africa and Europe during World War II.
