“IN THE SPRING A YOUNG MAN’S FANCY LIGHTLY TURNS TO THOUGHTS OF LOVE”.….and baseball!
The great, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate of the UK, penned these famous words in his poem, Locksley Hall….and as baseball players and fans for many generations have added…..and baseball!
With the 2012 spring training season “just around the corner” I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the history of this annual baseball ritual.
As most fans know, today there are two spring training leagues – the Florida “Grapefruit League” and the Arizona “Cactus” League. What many of today’s baseball fans might not realize is that the tradition of spring training in Florida and Arizona dates back to the early years of the 20th Century!
In Florida, the tradition began with an exhibition game between the Cincinnati Reds and the semi-pro St. Petersburg Saints. Then in 1913, the Chicago Cubs arrived in Tampa for the region’s FIRST spring training. In Arizona minor league teams began playing exhibition games in the area before the start of their regular season. However, it is noteworthy, that it wasn’t until 1946, when Bill Veeck took over the ownership of the Cleveland Indians that the Cactus League began to take shape when Veeck convinced New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham to begin training in Arizona as well.
In 1913, only two major league teams trained in Florida – the Cubs in Tampa and the Indians in Pensacola. However, in a very short period of time, several other teams began training in “The Sunshine State.”
The Cubs in Tampa, the St. Louis Browns in St. Petersburg, the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Augustine and the Philadelphia Athletics in Jacksonville.
The tradition of spring training in Florida for major league baseball teams “runs deep.” According to a 1998 article – St. Petersburg and Tampa – 87 years, Bradenton and Clearwater – 76 years, Lakeland 75 years, Sarasota 74 years, Fort Myers 64 years, West Palm Beach 63 years, Orlando, 62 years, Vero Beach 58 years, and Winter Haven 55 years.
Now, from personal experience, as the son of a major league baseball player, I can tell you how ballplayers have always looked forward to spring training – probably not so much the physical aspect of conditioning but to the “love of the game” – being out in the sunshine and being paid to play a “kids” game once again!
In the DVD “Around the League 1939-46” you will see COLOR footage of the Washington Senators at their spring training facility at Tinker Field in Orlando – certainly primitive by today’s standards however all of the players of that era, couldn’t wait to take the field again in their “home away from home.”
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, due to travel restrictions during WWII, major league teams were unable to train in Florida and it was not until 1946, following the end of WWII, that teams were allowed to resume their preparations for the upcoming season in a warm climate.
And, the cry of ‘Play Ball” will once again be heard this spring in Florida and Arizona – and the 2012 major league season will soon be here!
This story was originally posted at http://timelessbaseball.com.
