ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The historic legacy of Florida spring training continues to thrive as millions of fans gather to watch baseball games under the sunshine. The warm weather tradition originally traced back to local leaders who envisioned a tropical haven for players to prepare for the season.
St. Petersburg baseball roots
The backstory:
Coffee Pot Boulevard in St. Petersburg was once the site of Florida’s very first baseball field of dreams. Historian Peter Golenbock explained that former Mayor Al Lang successfully lobbied executive Branch Rickey to bring the St. Louis Browns to the city in 1914.
Lang wanted teams to avoid practicing in freezing northern winter weather. Golenbock noted that Lang “was a guy who really felt that a team should not be practicing before the season in cold weather.”
At the time, the local community only had about 4,000 residents, forcing games to draw in spectators from around the southeast. More than 3,000 people arrived at the park using boats and trains.
Other cities quickly joined, with former Tampa Mayor DB McKay paying $100 per player to lure the Chicago Cubs to Plant Field. The Cubs trained at the current site of The University of Tampa.
Early games also sprouted up with the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Augustine and the Philadelphia A’s in Jacksonville. Ballparks discovered early on that selling beer made fans happy while generating major revenue.
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Florida tourism boom
What we know:
The ultimate triumph for the region came when the New York Yankees arrived. The iconic franchise trained in Jacksonville in 1919 before shifting to St. Petersburg from 1925 until 1961.
Journalist Craig Pittman called this the greatest marketing technique for state tourism because northern newspapers printed endless reports with local datelines. Intimate stadiums, low stakes and near-perfect weather helped the Grapefruit League expand significantly, experiencing only three rain outs in its latest season.
Post-season baseball reflections
What they’re saying:
The league features 15 teams across 13 stadiums, with 10 based directly along the Gulf Coast. Pittman recalled sneaking away during his lunch hour to watch teams like the Orioles, Cardinals, and Rays play at Al Lang’s stadium.
Reflecting on why baseball remains an enduring American tradition, Pittman said, “I think it speaks to everybody’s desire to go home and to stay home and that you’re safe at home, and I think that’s why people love it so much.”
Golenbock believes the site of Coffee Pot Park, which shut down in 1922, deserves visible recognition and simply urged, “Put up a plaque.”
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