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13 delicious sandwiches, burgers, beers and more that were named after baseball players

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta checks his sandwich before an NLDS baseball practice on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015 in Chicago. The Cubs are to face the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Monday. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
By Michael Clair

If you're going to eat three square meals a day, why force yourself to choke down a salad? Thanks to these 13 great restaurants and head chefs, you can instead embrace your love of baseball and food at the same time by simply saying your favorite player's name. See that tasty sandwich up above? That's Cubs pitcher Jake Arrietaenjoying the "Jake Arrieta" from Marmalade in Chicago.
Here are 13 more delicious dishes (all outside stadium grounds) that are named for ballplayers: 
Big Papi's Kitchen - Boloco (Boston)
If you ever wondered where you can eat a burrito named after the former Red Sox star, Boloco's your spot. Known for its unique spin on burritos -- serving up Thai and tikka masala-style -- they made sure to create an absolutely loaded monstrosity for David Ortiz. The burrito is crammed full of brown rice, pinto beans, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, lettuce, hot sauce, chicken and, of course, Big Papi's own brand of salsa. 

Ron Darling pizza - GG's (New York)
What would you put on a pizza named after the former Mets pitcher and current broadcaster? According to GG's in the East Village, it's a pie topped with pickled pineapple, ham and al pastor sauce.
As for how it came to be? That's easy: Executive chef Bobby Hellen is a lifelong Mets fan. If you want to honor the whole team, just order the 1986. It's a pie topped with soppressata, fennel agrodolce, pickled peppers and arugula. 

El Tiante breakfast special - Maine Diner (Wells, Maine)
How did the Red Sox ace with an infinite number of windups end up with a breakfast special consisting of corned beef, poached eggs and a fruit cup? Easy: According to the menu, it's "A favorite of our good friend, Red Sox Hall of Fame pitcher, Luis Tiant."
Paul Molitor burger - The Nook (St. Paul, Minn.)
Molitor may have played the bulk of his Hall of Fame career in Milwaukee, but after three years with the Twins -- leading the league in hits in 1996 -- Minnesota's manager earned his own version of the Minnesota classic "Jucy Lucy" burger. The only difference is that his burger is stuffed with "pepper cheese" rather than the usual American cheese. 

They also offer a "Joe Mauer hit a double" option, which is two burgers and a side of fries. No word on if it comes with a glass of milk. 
The Matz Hero - Se-Port Deli (East Setauket, N.Y.)

Give some points to this deli for getting in early as it named this chicken cutlet topped in melted jack, cheddar cheese, bacon and pepper house dressing for the Mets hurler and frequent customer way back in 2009. 
Oddly enough, Matz himself may not be a fan. He had stopped in on a day when a Newsday reporter was there and the Mets pitcher ordered a different sandwich. 
Cue the conspiracy theories. 
Too many to mention - Ike's Place (Multiple locations)
Stop into an Ike's Place in one of its many locations throughout California and Arizona and you'll be surrounded by a number of delicious sammies named after ballplayers. Perhaps you want to go with the Jackie Robinson (cheddar, godfather's sauce, chilies), Madison Bumgarner (American cheese, habanero peppers, yellow BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese and sliced rib eye), or maybe you're more of a Rickey Henderson (bacon, pastrami, swiss).
The point is, this menu is chock full of athletes. It's like they knew we were going to write an article on baseball sandwiches. 

McGwire Special - LeGrand's Market and Catering (St. Louis) 

Mark McGwire was a meat-made man. Naturally, his sandwich pays homage to that heritage with ham, roast beef and salami being joined by cheddar, provel cheese and horseradish sauce. 
If that sounds like a bit too much for you, there's also the amazing Fredbird, a sandwich consisting of chicken strips, provel cheese and a creamy hot sauce. You can even get a sub named for Jim Edmonds, but we're not sure how many diving catches the center fielder could have made if he ate the turkey, ham, pepperoni, salami, swiss and provel monster named in his honor. 
Will Clark sandwich - Sweet Inspiration ft. Mike's Place (San Francisco)
While this Bay Area bakery/sandwich shoppe also has a Bumgarner sandwich (yep, still a rib eye with habanero), it also throws it back to Giants first baseman Will Clark with a hot link and jack-cheese creation.
Now what's it going to take to get a J.T. Snow on the menu? 
The Dave Parker Porker - Haywood's Bar and Grill (Muncy, Pa.)
How do you make a sandwich for a man who crushed dingers, threw players out at the plate and wore a Star of David necklace because, as Parker said, "My name is David. And I'm a star?" Easy: Pulled pork.
Add some BBQ sauce, along with the traditional Pittsburgh sandwich topping of cole slaw and fries and you've got it made.

You can also order a Willie Stargell at the bar -- a chicken cheese steak served Pittsburghian -- or the Clemente, which is a prime rib sub. 
The Barry Larkin "Triple Play" - Izzy's (Cincinnati) 
Larkin got his sandwich after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. But ask anyone and I think they'd agree: The real honor is the sandwich. This is a Reuben made even better, with corned beef, pastrami and turkey being joined by swiss cheese on rye bread. 
You know, a light snack. 
Nolan Ryan Burger - Danny's All-American Diner (Tampa, Fla.)
Ryan may have his own brand of beef, supplying the meat for many dishes at Minute Maid Park, but that doesn't mean he can't get a burger named in his honor. This one should fill you up, too, given that it comes with cheddar cheese, ham, bacon and barbecue sauce. 

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Nolan Ryan Burger for the win

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The rest of the menu has plenty to offer to baseball fans, with a Clemente burger to go with sandwiches like The Change-up and The Mound. 
The Big Unit - Alice Cooper'stown (Phoenix)
Randy Johnson stood 6-foot-10 and terrorized batters in the box. The hot dog that holds his nickname at the deliriously punny Alice Cooper restaurant is equally terrifying: 22 inches, a full pound of meat and it's served in a full baguette.
Yeah, that will do it. 

San Diego Pale Ale .394 - AleSmith Brewing (San Diego)
Of course, with all these salted meats, you're going to need something to wash it all down. Enter AleSmith and its beer named in honor of Tony Gwynn and his amazing .394 average he posted in 1994. The beer came to be because Gwynn called up the brewery and requested it.
Even better, proceeds from the beer go to the Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation, so you know with every sip you're honoring Gwynn's legacy. 

Have a favorite of your own that we missed? Let us know in the comments

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