Category: Region
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Dr. J. L. Moorefield and Moorefield Ballpark, 1920
Doc Moorefield became St. Pete’s Mr. Baseball for 1920 Part 3 The Nationals were set to visit on March 17. Moorefield somehow extracted a promise from Clark Griffith, the Nationals owner and manager, that Walter Johnson would pitch here. Not only was it St. Patrick’s Day, now it was Walter Johnson Day in St. Pete.…
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Dr. J. L. Moorefield and Moorefield Ballpark, 1920
Doc Moorefield became St. Pete’s Mr. Baseball for 1920 Part 2 Around the same time, Moorefield gets word from his winter league counterpart in Tampa that the Yankees are looking to relocate from Jacksonville for spring training. Moorefield immediately wires the Yankees business manager, W. H. Sparrow, about coming to St. Pete. Sparrow telegrams back…
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Dr. J. L. Moorefield and Moorefield Ballpark, 1920
Doc Moorefield became St. Pete’s Mr. Baseball for 1920 Part 1 Who is Dr. J. L. Moorefield? Is he a scoundrel? A philanthropist? A businessman trying to make it anyway he can? The man who perhaps saved St. Petersburg, Fla’s., aspirations to be a home for spring training baseball? I’ll leave those judgements up to…
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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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March Madness in Clearwater
The Phillies seemed to have a particular affinity for basketball players. While today’s game likes to feature very tall pitchers, the Phillies looked for tall guys early on. The starting five, a sixth man, and a coach for the squad are presented here. Center: Neil Johnston 6’8”. Pitcher in Clearwater, 1949-51 Johnston is the most…
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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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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…