Spring Training In The Golden Age

Spring Training In The Golden Age

The first professional baseball teams prepared for the start of new baseball seasons by training inside, usually in hometown gyms because it was cheaper for owners. To find warmer weather, the Cincinnati Reds journeyed south to New Orleans in 1870 and played about 12 barnstorming games against colleges and amateur teams in the region. Cap Anson, a star player-manager, is generally credited with starting the concept of spring training when he took his Chicago White Stockings team to Hot Springs, Arkansas in the mid-1880’s. Anson invited a newspaper reporter to come along. The Red Sox read about Hot Springs and followed the Chi-Sox to town.

Besides barnstorming trips, spring training in the Golden Age featured plenty of physical exercise followed up with hot baths.

With the White Stockings success in the regular season, the Tigers, Pirates, Reds and Robins also came to Hot Springs leading to the first spring training games. Whittington Field (1894), Majestic Park (1909) and Fogel Field (1912) were all built in Hot Springs to host Major League teams.

On St. Patrick’s Day in 1918, the Red Sox asked Babe Ruth to play first base in a spring training game in Hot Springs. He had never played any position other than pitcher in the Big Leagues. Yet, Babe responded by hitting a 573-foot shot out of Whittington Park that landed across the street in a pond at the Arkansas Alligator Farm, which by the way still operates.

In all, over 130 Hall of Famers, Cy Young, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott and more, played in Hot Springs. Hughie Jennings was there too!

By 1922, teams had also started playing at least one inter-league tune-up series just before the regular season started. These spring games stayed local in 1922 whenever possible. The Browns won 3 of the 4 games played against the Cardinals. In the battle of Philadelphia, the Athletics won the only game played against the Phillies. In the Ohio series, the Indians and the Reds each won a game. Brooklyn played the Yankees 14 times (Robins won 8).

Here is a link to the Hot Springs Baseball Trail:

www.hotspringsbaseballtrail.com