WASHINGTON — They say a hot dog at the ballpark is better than a steak at the Ritz.

Tom Lohr would be the first to agree. For the second year in a row, he’s dropping by every Major League Ball Park (and Minor League ones, too) and ordering a dog.

Last year, he chowed on the ordinary, garden-variety offerings. He drove 19,000 miles to pull it off. This season, he’s ordering the specialty hot dogs, and he thinks the odometer might turn even more.

Lohr, who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma made it to Nationals Park Thursday, marking the 17th big league stadium of the season. He promptly ordered the DMV, which is made up of a half-smoke, Maryland crab dip and Virginia ham.

“I always ask the guest services and the people that run the concessions what’s the biggest monstrosity they have to eat, and that’s the one I get,” he says.

He rates the hot dogs based on taste, ingredients, value and monstrosity factor. When finished, he’ll compile all the goodness in his second book about ballpark hot dogs.

The Marine veteran manages to keep down his weight, despite a steady diet of dogs smothered in cheese, fried favorites and sauces. Last season he gained just six pounds, he says.

So far, the best offering has been in Milwaukee: the Downtown Wisconsin Avenue Brat.

Lohr is still compiling the rating for his DMV Dog from Nats Park.

You can follow his hot dog journey all season long at Blog about a Dog.