Author: Ken Clawson
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 15
1917: Another Season in the Sun The Phillies return despite not having any major league teams to play. The Cubs have left Tampa, the A’s are still mad and refuse to schedule, and the Braves are deemed too far down in Miami. The squad will play two games against Southern College and otherwise play games…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 7: 1940 – 42 Note: No team trained in Florida during the war years ’43 – ’45 Boston Braves ’40 Bradenton – City Park Boston Red Sox ’40 – 42 Sarasota – Payne Park Brooklyn Dodgers ’40 Clearwater – Brooklyn Field Chicago Cubs ’41 Spent one week on West Fl. coast Detroit Tigers ’40…
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 14
1916: The Heroes Return Going into the ’16 spring season, the Phillies will return with just as much optimism of getting the proper work done as they did last spring. The Cardinals pulled out of the state so the Cubs and A’s are the only major league opponents to schedule (the Braves are in Miami,…
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Back-To-Back-To-Back, Part 4
Part 4: Jim Oliver, the Mentor Jim Oliver migrated from Georgia to St. Petersburg to work for the railroad. When is not known. What is known is that he was an excellent baseball player. A shortstop and like his son Nate, was often referred to as “Pee Wee”. Jim played professionally in the early to…
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 13
1915: Here Come the Phillies The happenstance of how the Phillies were led to select St. Pete can perhaps be credited to their chief scout and to the innkeeper of the Detroit Hotel. Capt. William Neal came to St. Pete in 1914 to look at the Browns prospects as the Phillies players were being poached…
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Back-To-Back-To-Back, Part 3
Part 3: Nate Oliver He was known from childhood to the big leagues as “Pee Wee”. Nate Oliver was the son of Jim Oliver a veteran Negro League player who settled in St. Pete. Pee Wee followed George Smith in the Gibbs High School lineage. He also played basketball for Gibbs. There is no record…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 5: 1935 – 39 Boston Braves ‘ 35 Bees ’36 – 37 St. Petersburg – Waterfront Park “38 – 39 Bradenton – City Park Boston Red Sox ’35 – 39 Sarasota – Payne Park Brooklyn DOdgers ’36 – 39 Clearwater -Brooklyn Field Cincinnati Reds ’35 – 39 Tampa – Plant Field Detroit Tigers ’35…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 4: 1930 – 1934 Boston Braves ’30 – 34 St. Petersburg – Waterfront Park Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers ’30 – 32 Clearwater – Brooklyn Field Detroit Tigers 1930 Tampa Plant Field ’34 Lakeland – Henley Field New York Yankees ’30 – 34 St. Petersburg – Huggins Field, Watrefront Park Philadelphia Phillies ’30 – 35 Winter Haven…
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 12
Browns: Will They Stay or Will They Go? On March 24, 1914, the Browns have packed up and left town, barnstorming their way back to St. Louis. By all accounts their spring season in St. Pete was a success. Attendance was good, weather was better, and the Browns got enough work in to get off…
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Back-To-Back-To-Back, Part 2
Part 2: George Smith After Ed Charles leaves Gibbs High School, he is succeeded in Gibbs High School Athletics by Sophomore George Smith. Beginning in the fall of ’52, Smith plays three sports, football, basketball and baseball. He is a key reserve as a back in football his sophomore season. A highlight being a “pick…