Get Ready to Say Goodbye to ‘Hal the Hot Dog Guy,’ the Oakland A’s Unofficial Mascot | Eater SF

"One of the most recognizable faces at the Oakland Coliseum is Hal Gordon — “Hal the Hot Dog Guy” — a locally famous vendor and unofficial A’s mascot who announced via Twitter that he couldn’t reach a deal to continue vending at the stadium. Gordon, who is also a Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley studying agriculture and resource economics, even offered to be hired by the A’s as an economist while continuing to work as a game vendor (essentially for free), but the team declined. He made his reputation vending since 2005 — first at White Sox and Cubs games and later at Nationals games — and became beloved for his old-timey red-and-white striped outfit, his famous fake-ketchup prank, leading fans in cheers, and even having a lifesize cutout placed behind home plate during the 2020 season; in a Twitter thread he argued that if his presence drew even 25 additional fans a game at $75 per fan, a new position for him would ostensibly pay for itself. SFGATE reports he called the outcome disappointing, said he plans to work opening day on March 30 as his final time entertaining A’s fans, and described his time there as an honor he will never forget." - Lauren Saria