Cleveland Sports Forum

TFIR,

While we are twiddling our thumbs.

Don't know if you subscribe to Arizona Highways Magazine but there's a great article about the Indians and the origin of the Cactus League in the March 2022 edition. You can probably pick up a copy in any supermarket.

Talked about Veeck buying the Indians and moving them to Tucson because of segregation issues in 1947.

where did train before? It was Tucson from my childhood. My dad told me: New Orleans maybe?

In Tucson, it was Hi Corbett Field - now home of the University of Arizona Wildcats.

It says, Veeck owned the then minor league Milwaukee Brewers in 1946 and during Spring Training in Ocala, Fl, he went into Black section of the segregated park to mingle with the fans. He was asked to move out of the Black section by the Sheriff and the Mayor but refused to leave. He continued to sit there throughout ST and threatened to move the team out of Florida. He then bought the Cleveland Indians and moved them to Tucson in 1947.

Forgot you were a snowbird in Arizona, Vic

Just found this:


Cleveland Indians spring training through the years: From New Orleans to Goodyear

The Indians held their first spring training in 1902 in New Orleans. They are now located in a multi-million facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Through the years the Indians have changed spring-training locations many times, but the game and how to prepare for it is still pretty much the same.

After training in New Orleans in 1902, they returned for spring training there from 1916-20 and 1928-39.

Other spring-training stops included: San Antonio (1904, 1915), Macon, Ga. (1907-09), Alexandria, La. (1910-11), Pensacola, Fla. (1913), Athens, Ga. (1914), Dallas (1921-22), Lakeland, Fla. (1923-27), Fort Myers, Fla. (1940-42), Lafayette, Ind. (1943-45), Clearwater, Fla. (1946), Tucson, Ariz. (1947-92), Winter Haven, Fla. (1993-2008) and Goodyear (2009-present).

Lafayette IN: not too much warmer than Cleveland, but that was during WWII travel restrictions

Lafayette? I went to Purdue and really can't see it - though if the Chicago teams, Cinci, Detroit etc. maybe camped in South Bend and Urbana (college towns), you could bus around and get your daily games in.

What year(s) were Homestead, Fl

Never got there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_Sports_Complex

seagull wrote:Never got there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_Sports_Complex

Yeah, isn't that why they headed to Winter Haven?

Great stuff, thanks Seagull.

Attention Rule V geeks (ahem civ)

Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN report multiple teams have inquired with the league about the possibility of canceling the major-league portion of the Rule 5 draft this season.

The two sides have yet to discuss the Rule 5 draft during negotiating sessions to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement. With minor-league spring training underway and games set to begin as early as March 12, nearly half the organizations in baseball have closed their facilities to opposing scouts.

Only five teams are allowing scouts to watch their minor leaguers this spring. Clearly, the vast majority of teams are worried about losing players who took a big step forward since November's 40-man roster deadline.

How do they identify the scouts? Is there a big, red S stamped on their forehead?

From what I read from another source most minors camps are blocked off to everyone.

Lockdowns, lockouts....hey it's all the rage.

Wasn't today another deadline for all the greedy bastards to get something done?