Ball Park Franks is the name of a brand of hot dogs made by Sara Lee. A Detroit, MI meat-packing company called Hygrade Food Products won a competition in 1959 to be the exclusive supplier of hot dogs to the Detroit Tigers stadium. Hygrade Food Products launched a contest to its employees in order to come up with the best brand name for their Detroit Tigers stadium hot dogs. Mary Ann Kurk, one of Hygrade Food Products sales people at the time, won the contest with the name "Ball Park Franks". She won a leather living room chair and a cash prize of $25 ($188 as of 2011).[3] It was from this venue that Ball Park Franks gained notoriety and became a mainstay in American pop-culture.[4] Sara Lee acquired Hygrades from Hanson Industries in 1989.