Category: Coffee Pot
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 17
1919: Now what? Although no official release says that Phillies manager Pat Moran was released, the December 15, 1918, edition of The St. Petersburg Times indicates that Moran quit. The Times also reports the rumor that William Baker was looking to sell the team. Baker repeatedly denied and in fact, died in 1930 while still…
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 16
1918: Where Did Everybody Go? The Phillies training in St. Pete finally came together. In December, owner William Baker originally decided not to come to St. Pete. An exchange of telegrams between Al Lang and Baker finally came to a resolution and the Phillies would come to train after all. The season would start later…
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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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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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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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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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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 11
1914 Spring Training, Let the Games Begin! The schedule would feature 20 games with 10 being played at Coffee Pot. The Cubs in Tampa were scheduled for six games, three at each venue. Connie Mack’s Athletics were also scheduled for six games, three in St. Pete and three in Jacksonville. The cross-town Cardinals training in…
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 10
1914 Spring Training Branch Rickey is just 32 years old and is entering his first full season as a manager in the major leagues. Most managers his age are player-managers. Even though he will pinch-hit twice during the upcoming regular season, he really doesn’t fit that bill. Rickey did play in the major leagues prior…
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 9
Huggins v. Rickey As mentioned earlier Miller Huggins and Branch Rickey likely met in 1904. Huggins had a successful rookie year. Rickey was called to the majors for the first time late in the season. Rickey, as he was known for, refused to play on Sundays even then. The manager, Joe Kelley, refused to play…
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Coffee Pot Ballpark, Part 8
Food & Entertainment The lodging atthe brand-new 5th Ave. Hotel built for baseball got old in a hurry, and so did the food. As I mentioned with the Hotel, the smell from underneath as well as the food was so bad that the Phillies pulled out mid-training in 1916. Even earlier, the Browns owner had…