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The Hot Dog King

Nothing goes together quite like baseball and hot dogs, which explains why Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi will sign autographs today at Devil Rays Fan Fest.

By Joanne Korth
Published February 24, 2007

Nothing goes together quite like baseball and hot dogs, which explains why Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi will sign autographs today at Devil Rays Fan Fest. A Japanese competitive eater, Kobayashi holds the world record for hot dog eating as the six-time champion of the Nathan's Famous competition. The 28-year-old ate a record 53 3/4 hot dogs, including buns, at the 2006 contest. Through interpreter Phillip Sikes, Kobayashi answered a few questions for the Times after his arrival Friday in St. Petersburg.

How did you discover you have a talent for eating?

I used to go to restaurants with my friends, the kind of restaurants where if you eat enough it's free. I'd have no problem eating all the food, and it would be free. My friends all thought it was a big deal. So one day there was a TV show where there was an eating competition. My friend sent in a postcard about me, and I entered the competition and beat the previous winner.

Is it true your stomach extends below your rib cage, which allows you to eat so much?

Yes, it's a lot lower, so I get full from a lot lower than a normal person.

What do you eat in a regular day?

I eat anything, but mostly Japanese food. I eat more than the average person. Not like I eat during a contest, but I still eat a lot.

What do you weigh, and how do you stay so skinny?

I weigh 76 kilograms about 150 pounds. I exercise. I run and do weightlifting.

How did you come up with your technique of dunking the hot dog buns in water before you eat them?

People who entered before me were doing that, and I just imitated them.

Your only loss in competition is to a 1,000-pound Kodiak bear who ate 50 bunless hot dogs to your 31 in 2 minutes, 36 seconds. Did the bear cheat?

Of course not. What happened is I actually challenged the bear three days before the competition, and I beat the bear. But the owner of the bear stopped feeding it any meals before the contest, so it got really hungry, and that's how he was able to eat so much.

Do you like hot dogs?

I like eating hot dogs.

What is your favorite food?

My favorite food is tofu. But I also like bagels. You can't find them in Japan that much, but when I come to the United States, that's one of my favorite things to eat.

Are you a baseball fan?

I am a baseball fan. I actually played baseball in high school.

What do you know about the Devil Rays?

I'm not a fan of any team in particular, except Japanese teams. But I am excited about meeting Akinori Iwamura, the Japanese player who plays for the Devil Rays.

Joanne Korth can be reached at korth@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8810.

Fast Facts:

Devil Rays Fan Fest

When/where: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Tropicana Field

Details: Admission and parking are free.

Activities: Autographs, batting cages, speed pitch, Wiffle Ball home-run hitting contest, baseball card show, world's largest baseball display, Rays Fan Wall of Fame induction ceremony, run the bases, walk on the new FieldTurf, do radio calls, pet cownose rays

Special appearances: World hot dog- eating champ Takeru Kobayashi, ESPN's Jayson Stark and TV announcers Joe Magrane and Dewayne Staats (2 p.m.), Baseball America's Chris Kline and radio announcers Andy Freed and Dave Wills (3 p.m.)

On sale: Individual game tickets, season tickets, merchandise. Fans buying tickets to five games get a free ticket to April 6 home opener.

Autograph highlights: Alums Dave Martinez, Aaron Ledesma - 11 a.m. to noon; Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Jeff Niemann - 1 to 2 p.m.; Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, Jorge Cantu - 2 to 3; Rocco Baldelli, Jonny Gomes, Akinori Iwamura, Evan Longoria, Delmon Young - 3 to 4; Reid Brignac, Joe Maddon, Don Zimmer - 4 to 5.

Fan Wall of Fame honorees: Joey Castro (who proposed at a game), Kathy Plank, George Stone and Dr. Ron White of St. Petersburg; Margarita Fazioli of Bradenton; Pat and Christin Manfredo, a mother/daughter duo from Massachusetts who attend games around the country.

[Last modified February 23, 2007, 22:49:36]