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Boiling Out At the Springs - A History of MLB Spring Training at Hot Springs, AR 1886-1940s
Boiling Out At the Springs - A History of MLB Spring Training at Hot Springs AR 1886-1940s This book is about the colorful baseball history that took place over many years in Hot Springs, Arkansas. As early as I can remember, I heard stories about the major league baseball players who visited the Spa City during spring training. The story most often repeated to me was concerning Babe Ruth hitting a gigantic home run over the smokestac... more »ks atop a building which was located near Whittington Park. That and other stories ignited my interest, leading to an enthusiastic research of baseball spring training at the Spa.
The spring training voyage began in 1886, with the arrival of the Chicago White Stockings, forerunner of the Chicago Cubs, to the city. The team was managed by a strong disciplinarian, Cap Anson, and owned by the sporting goods magnet, A.G. Spalding. Spalding sent his team to the Spa to boil out the beer in each of his players in the famous hot spring mineral water. Within a few years, more teams arrived at the resort. Their purpose was for players to get in shape by taking the hot baths, running the mountain roads, and playing baseball. In addition, many players, like Ruth, played golf and attended the races, while others added fishing and hunting to their spring agenda.
As I wrote this book, I thought about the many great and not-so-great players who demonstrated their talents as they practiced baseball at the Spa. It was fascinating to read the commentaries of sports journalists of by-gone days. To delve into the minds of those great sportswriters was a fabulous education for me. Spring training at Hot Springs is no more, but hopefully it can remain alive in the hearts and minds of baseball fans everywhere.« less