Welcome Red's fans to the 5th year of the Goodyear Blog. Do you know the history of spring training? In 1888, two truck drivers named Willie Spring and J. R. Training carried baseball equipment to Miami, Florida. Everybody was waiting for Spring & Training to arrive and hence the term "Spring Training" began. Now if you believe that nonsense I guess you have had a long hard winter! Obviously I subscribe to the Brian Williams school of reporting.
Readers Beware!
The first spring training was actually in 1870 in New Orleans. Our own Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Chicago White Soxgot together for a few games. The teams would move around "barnstorming " the area. It would take another 50 years for some semblance of spring training as we know it to arrive. In 1915, four teams trained in Florida and the Grapefruit League got its start. Following the Great Depression the concept of "remote" spring training spots for teams had blossomed. The Pirates trained in Hawaii, the Dodgers in Cuba and even the Dominican Republic and Mexico were used. In 1946, the Cactus League began with just 2 teams. Now the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues each have 15 teams. One of the most unique training locales is that of the Atlanta Braves located in Disney World.
While the locations have changed, so have the training regimes. Early training sites were mostly "fat farms" and "drunkfests". Cornelius McGillicuddy (better known as Connie Mack) once reported "We played baseball most of the day and drank most of the night". Star players like Ty Cobb would refuse to report to spring training and most players reported to get in a round of golf or two. Today's players train year round and report to spring training to get ready for a grueling long 162 game season. Modern training facilities are state of the art.
Red's training room at Goodyear.
One of the biggest social barriers was segregation. Back in the day, black players could not stay with white players. A young Cincinnati Reds outfielder, by name of Curt Flood, had to stay in Ma Fletcher's Boarding House while the Reds were in Tampa.
As integration gained traction, so did the popularity of spring training. In 1981, spring training attendance reached the million mark for the first time. 2014 saw attendance rise to 3.6 million. The Grapefruit League netted $385 million from out of state visitors in 2014. The Cactus League had a $632 million impact on Arizona.
Money does not grow on trees but rather in spring training ballparks.
I am looking forward to being your eyes and ears for all of the spring training season. Considering my eyesight and hearing that may not be saying all that much. Still, it is a pretty young spirit in an old body. YIB (yours in baseball)- G
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