Because of J McCloy, vegetarians can now enjoy baseball just like anyone else

[Guest guest]

Courtesy of sfgate.com

 

Johanna McCloy wasn't a baseball fan until she happened to be at a

game and went looking for a veggie dog. She didn't find one, but she

did find a cause - promoting alternatives to the all-American

under-boiled pink hot dog. McCloy, 43, lives near the Nortonville arch

in Berkeley.

 

" I have been a vegetarian since 1997. I was driving I-5 and I passed

Harris Ranch. Then, on the same trip I was behind a chicken truck and

the feathers were flying at me. That was the clincher.

 

I was making my living as an actor in L.A. My big claim to fame is a

guest star on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I had the rare pleasure

of being one of only two characters in seven seasons to make out with

Worf. I actually have a following for that one episode.

 

When I went to the Dodgers game and came home hungry, I started

researching every MLB team park to find out if any other parks carried

a veggie dog. I was going to use the domino theory to make my case

with the Dodgers' concession manager. I found out that no baseball

park offered veggie dogs to their fans.

 

In the meantime I'm generating a lot of support from vegetarians and

animal rights people saying, 'You've got to create a Web site.' So I

created soyhappy. org, a rudimentary little Web site that is a tool to

work with food service establishments to help them get vegetarian fare.

 

Soy is a bean that is a healthy alternative to meat products for those

people who are looking to reduce their intake. Although the name Soy

Happy is catchy and cute, I also promote other plant-based foods, like

anything derived from rice and almonds.

 

The first team that added veggie dogs was the Chicago White Sox, and I

wasn't even focusing on them. They contacted me. By the time I moved

to Berkeley, in 2002, seven stadiums were offering veggie dogs, but

not the San Francisco Giants. I was in communication with the

concession manager and she was very responsive. They have a dog that I

negotiated for them that is vegan, is kosher and is not genetically

modified. I was actually the very first person to eat a veggie dog at

AT & T Park. It serves the same purpose in satisfying the palate as a

regular hot dog once you add all the condiments. We now have 15

major-league baseball stadiums offering veggie dogs. I'll be hosting a

group outing to a Mets game on May 31 to celebrate Shea Stadium's

introduction of veggie dogs this year. The Mets will be playing the

Dodgers, so it'll be a nice way to mark how far concessions have come

since my visit to Dodger Stadium back in 2000. The Washington

Nationals' new Nationals Park is also offering veggie dogs in their

inaugural season.

 

The big picture is encouraging vegetarian menu options in any

mainstream venue, whether it is in sporting arenas, Disneyland, large

cafeterias, zoos, any big concession stands. I consider Soy Happy to

be all about consumer empowerment. A lot of people get very complacent

and they just complain.

 

Strangely, my Soy Happy endeavor has made me an actual baseball fan.

My team is the Oakland Athletics. I continue to encourage them to

offer vegetarian chili as a topping. It would add pizzazz to the

veggie dogs and make people very happy. "

 

The Lightbulb: I was at Dodger Stadium. I was hungry. It was my second

game ever. I walked the entire stadium. Not only did they not have

veggie dogs, they had no vegetarian options at all, other than

popcorn. It dawned on me as I sat in the stands that someone needed to

take action. I took it upon myself to become a liaison between

concession managers and manufacturers.