By Dr. Paul Ehrlich
As a life-long Yankee fan it pains me to say this, but the Boston Red Sox management has done something admirable. They have followed the example of many other major league baseball teams by setting aside a section of venerable Fenway Park as a peanut-free zone. To my knowledge, this is something the Yankees don’t do.
A ballgame is supposed to be a carefree experience, where a kid has nothing more to worry about than his home team winning or losing, his favorite player’s performance, and whether his team stands a chance in the pennant race. Come to think of it, that’s actually quite a lot to worry about, especially if you’re a Yankee or Sox fan. But the same point applies: a kid with peanut allergies shouldn’t have to worry about inhaling peanut dust from the bag being devoured in the seat next to him. According to boston.com, the typical Sox game sees sales of 3,000 bags of peanuts and half a ton of shells. That’s a lot of stray allergen. Then there are the Cracker Jacks; the prizes do not include Epi-Pens.
That said, I am not aware of any anaphylactic reaction ever being triggered at the ballgame, but worrying about it shouldn’t stand in the way of enjoying the game. Yogi Berra is famous for having said, “Ninety percent of this game is half mental.” That goes for fans, too.