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 the majority owner of the team. For St. Pete, it remained officially Moran and Baker who responsible on the team end for the Phillies training in St. Pete. Also, minority owner Morton Plant a winter resident in the county and the benefactor of the major hospital in Clearwater that bears his name, has passed away.
Not certain of the Phillies future in St. Pete, Al Lang has to hedge his bets and talk to other teams. The next day, December 16, the Tampa Tribune reports that Lang has approached the Reds about training in St. Pete. Moran’s departing the Phillies led to speculation he would be signing on with the Reds to manage. The day after that, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Harry Frazee was selling the Red Sox and Moran, from nearby Fitchburg, would be a favorite to manage there.
The Times reports on January 2nd, that Baker has officially informed Lang that the Phillies will not come to the South for the spring (apparently Charlotte, N. C. is not his version of the South). John Fisher, the New York Giants secretary, telegrams Lang on the 12th and asks if he can hold Coffee Pot “uncontracted” until the 16th when the Giants board meets to discuss spring training. On January 20, the Times page one headlines reads, “NY Giants To come Here On Spring Training Trip”. This was based on Associated Press reports that Giants’ manager John McGraw was quoted as saying, “… Giants expect to reach training camp March 22nd, which will probably be St. Pete.” Lang told the Times he had received a telegram the previous day for quotes on hotel accommodations. The Times also reports that the Red Sox will train in Tampa.
On January 25th, The Tampa Tribune reports that Lang received a telegram from the Giants indicating they decided to train in Gainesville instead. Lang immediately sends a telegram to the Brooklyn Dodgers to assess their interest, but they had recently contracted to go to Jacksonville. St. Pete, after five years of glorious spring weather at a top-notch ballpark, is left empty handed for the spring of 1919.
In early March, C. Perry Snell, owner of the Coffee Pot property concludes business with the baseball company and begins the teardown of the Coffee Pot ballpark. The lumber from the park will be used in constructing three houses in the area. Three recent fires in the stands at the park prompted the quick action.
In March, Lang travels to Gainesville to recruit the Giants for ’20. He makes an offer to McGraw to come down and select a site where a new field will be built. A couple of weeks later, on April 5th, he goes to Tampa to see the Giants play the Red Sox. He is witness to Babe Ruth’s 587’ home run, believed to be the longest ever hit at that time. Fifteen years later, Lang will be in St. Pete when Ruth one-hops a ball off the 2nd floor of the West Coast Inn, 624’ away.
Coffee Pot will host baseball, including St. Petersburg High School, and the newly professional St. Pete Saints until late July. All games will shift to the new field on the Waterfront with the Saints hosting the opening game in early August.
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