Food for thought as baseball season hits full stride.(San Antonio, Texas ranks fifth in national hot dog consumption)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Forgive me the indulgence. But we all need a holiday break now and then. So I offer this post-4th of July salute to one of the great American staples -- the hot dog.

It's an accomplishment any city would relish. A top-five spot on the list of hot dog consuming cities in America. In a community where pushcart vendors sell more raspas than red hots, that's big news.

Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia sold the most hot dogs last year -- in that order. But guess who filled the fifth spot?

Yep, San Antonio.

No one knows for sure the origin of hot dogs, or how they got their name. But as sure as baseball season hits its fever pitch during the dog days …