Hot Springs in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Hot Springs: The Birthplace of Spring Baseball
Photographed By Steve Masler, April 8, 2017
1. Hot Springs: The Birthplace of Spring Baseball Marker
Inscription.
Hot Springs: The Birthplace of Spring Baseball. . Hot Spring's reputation as a health and recreation resort attracting the rich and famous was certainly true in the late 1800's and well into the 20th century. The city had fine hotels, lively nightclubs, a beautiful mountain setting, and the famous hot water from the natural springs. , , In 1886, Cap Anson brought his Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) to Hot Springs. This bustling turn-of-the-century spa resort with its famous hot baths, mountains, trails, hotels, and activities was the perfect place for something no one had ever heard of: spring training for professional baseball. Soon, teams had built five fields and as many as 250 players, including the legends of the game, trained here year after year. , , Now you can follow The Hot Springs Baseball Trail and stand where legends stood and records were set. Read and hear stories of the players and places that shaped baseball. , , Pick up a guide map at the Hot Springs Visitor Center in Hill Wheatley Plaza on Central Avenue, at the Alligator Farm, or at Oaklawn Racetrack. Each Baseball Trail marker has a digital 'code' that can link to your smartphone to historic photos, audio and more. With a phone call you can hear stories of the golden age of baseball in Hot Springs. , , Right Side , , Hank Aaron . "Pete" Alexander . "Cap" Anson . "Home Run" Baker . Ed Barrow . Dave Bancroft . Jake Beckley . "Cool Papa" Bell . "Chief" Bender . "Yogi" Berra . Roger Bresnahan . Mordecai Brown . Jesse Burkett . Roy Campanella . Max Carey . Frank Chance . "Happy" Chandler . Oscar Charleston . Jack Chesbro . Fred Clarke . John Clarkson . Mickey Cochrane . Jimmy Collins . Eddie Collins . Charlie Comiskey . Jocko Conlan . Stan Coveleski . Sam Crawford . Joe Cronin . "Kiki" Cuyler . George Davis . "Dizzy" Dean . Bill Dickey . Joe DiMaggio . Larry Doby . Bobby Doerr . "Barney" Dreyfuss . Hugh Duffy . Leo Durocher . Billy Evans . Johnny Evers . "Buck" Ewing . "Red" Faber . Bob Feller . Elmer Flick . Bill Foster . "Rube" Foster . Jimmie Foxx . Charlie Gehringer . Josh Gibson . "Goose" Goslin . Hank Greenberg . Clark Griffith . Burleigh Grimes . "Lefty" Grove . Jesse Haines , , "Sliding" Billy Hamilton . "Ned" Hanlon . Will Harridge . "Bucky" Harris . "Gabby" Hartnett . Harry Heilmann . Pete Hill . Harry Hooper . Rogers Hornsby . Waite Hoyt . Carl Hubbell . Miller Huggins . "Monte" Irvin . Travis Jackson . Hughie Jennings . "Ban" Johnson . "Judy" Johnson . Walter Johnson . Addie Joss . Willie Keeler . George Kell . Joe Kelley . "King" Kelly . Kenesaw M. Landis . Fred Lindstrom . Al Lopez . Ted Lyons . Connie Mack , , "Biz" Mackey . Mickey Mantle . "Heinie" Manush . "Rabbit" Maranville . "Rube" Marquard . Tommy McCarthy . Joe McGinnity . John McGraw . Bill McKechnie . John "Bid" McPhee . Johnny Mize . Stan "The Man" Musial . Hank O'Day . Mel Ott . "Satchel" Paige . Herb Pennock . "Gettysburg" Eddie Plank . Cumberland Posey . "Old Hoss" Radbourn . Sam Rice . Branch Rickey . Eppa Rixey . Brooks Robinson . Jackie Robinson . Wilbert Robinson . "Bullet" Joe Rogan . "Red" Ruffing , , "Babe" Ruth . Ray Schalk . Frank Selee . Al Simmons . George Sisler . Hilton Smith . Billy Southworth . Albert G. Spalding . Tris Speaker . "Casey" Stengel . Mule Suttles . Bill Terry . Joe Tinker . Cristobal Torriente . "Pie" Traynor . "Dazzy" Vance . "Rube" Waddell . "Honus" Wagner . Bobby Wallace . "Big" Ed Walsh . Paul Waner . Zack Wheat . Deacon White . J.L. Wilkinson . "Smokey" Joe Williams . Vic Willis . "Hack" Wilson . Jud Wilson . "Cy" Young , , These players, owners, writers, and announcers came to Hot Springs to train or report on spring training. , , Hall of Fame honoree , , "Babe" Adams . "Ginger" Beaum . Sam Bankheadont . Carson Bigbee . Max Bishop . Joe Black . Tommy Bridges . George "Chippy" Britt . Roy Bosson . George "Tioga" Burns . August "Gussie" Busch . "Donie" Bush . "Bullet" Joe Bush . Ray Caldwell . Howie Camnitz . John Carmichael . Bill Carrigan . Ray Collins . "Shano" Collins . Wilbur Cooper . "Colby" Jack Coombs . Sam Crane . "Gavvy" Cravath . Lou Criger . Jimmie Crutchfield . Bill Dahlen . Tommy "Tido" Daly . Dan Daniels . Jack Daubert . Paul "Daffy" Dean . "Bing" Devine . Delahanty Brothers , , Babe Didrikson . S.E. Dillon and "Doc" Owens . Bill Dineen . Ray Doan and George Barr . "Turkey" Mike Donlin . "Patsy" Donovan . "Wild Bill" Donovan . "Buttermilk" Tommy Dowd . "Laughing" Larry Doyle . John Drebinger . Charlie Dressen . Charles Dryden . George Earnshaw . Luke Easter . Charles Hercules Ebbets . "Kid" Elberfield . Victory Faust . "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald . "Silver" Flint . Dave "Scissors" Foutz . Buck Freeman . Hugh Fullerton . Larry Gardner . George Gibson . "Kid" Gleason . George Gore . Frank Graham . Charlie Grant . Gus Greenlee . Charlie Grimm . "Noodles" Hahn . Ed Hamman . Vic Harris . Charlie Hemphill , , Dick Hoblitzell . Gil Hodges . Willis Hudlin . Marshall Hunt . Mike Ilitch . Jim Isaminger . Tim Jordan . Sid Keener . John Kieran . "Reindeer" Bill Killifer . "Big Klu" Kluszewski . H.W. Lanigan . Joe Lannin . Ring Lardner . "Arlie" Latham . "Cookie" Lavagetto . Cliff Lee . "Dutch" Leonard . "Duffy" Lewis . Fred Leib . Hans Lobert . Dick Lundy . Sherry Magee . Gus Mancuso . "Firpo" Marberry . Leroy Matlock . Jimmy McAleer . Arch McDonald . Carl Mays . Jack McCallister . "Nuf Ced" McGreevy . Tom Meany . "Mountain Music" Melton . Sid Mercer , , "Deerfoot" Milan . Dale Mitchell . Johnny Mostil . Tim Murnane . Don Newcombe . Jack O'Connor . Charlie O'Leary . Buck O'Neil . Tip O'Neill . "Terrible" Ted Page . Roger Peckinpaugh . "Superman" Pennington . Bruce Petway . Fred Pfeffer . "Deacon" Phillippe . George Pipgras . Harry Pulliam . Jack Quinn . "Double Duty" Radcliffe . Uvoyd Reynolds . Grantland Rice . Francis Richter . Johnny Rigney . Bill "Bojangles" Robinson . Schoolboy Rowe . "Muddy" Ruel . Dutch Ruether . Jake Ruppert and T.L. Huston . Johnny Sain . George "Tubby" Scales . "Germany" Schaefer . Wally Schang . Al Schacht . Prince Hal Schumacher , , "Cy" Seymour . Benjamin Franklin Shibe . Urban Shocker . "Deacon" Scott . Bob Shawkey . Ernie Shore . Earl "Oil" Smith . "Sherry" Smith . Wendell Smith . Pop Snyder . Louis Sockalexis . "Spec Bebop" and "King Tut" . The Spink Family . "Country Jake" Stephens . J. Roy Stockton . Charles A. Stoneham . Billy Sunday . Jesse Tannehill . John I. Taylor . "Patsy" Tebeau . "Birdie" Tebbetts . Jim Thorpe . The Tugerson Brothers . George "The Bull" Uhle . Bobby Veach . Chris Von der Ahe . John L. Webb . Earl Whitehill . Frank Wickware . "Ned" Williamson . "Smoky" Joe Wood . Dave Wyatt . "Chief" Zimmer
Hot Spring's reputation as a health and recreation resort attracting the rich and famous was certainly true in the late 1800's and well into the 20th century. The city had fine hotels, lively nightclubs, a beautiful mountain setting, and the famous hot water from the natural springs.
In 1886, Cap Anson brought his Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) to Hot Springs. This bustling turn-of-the-century spa resort with its famous hot baths, mountains, trails, hotels, and activities was the perfect place for something no one had ever heard of: spring training for professional baseball. Soon, teams had built five fields and as many as 250 players, including the legends of the game, trained here year after year.
Now you can follow The Hot Springs Baseball Trail and stand where legends stood and records were set. Read and hear stories of the players and places that shaped baseball.
Pick up a guide map at the Hot Springs Visitor Center in Hill Wheatley Plaza on Central Avenue, at the Alligator Farm, or at Oaklawn Racetrack. Each Baseball Trail marker has a digital 'code' that can link to your smartphone to historic photos, audio and more. With a phone call you can hear stories of the golden age of baseball in Hot Springs.
Right Side
Hank Aaron
"Pete" Alexander
"Cap"
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Anson
"Home Run" Baker
Ed Barrow
Dave Bancroft
Jake Beckley
"Cool Papa" Bell
"Chief" Bender
"Yogi" Berra
Roger Bresnahan
Mordecai Brown
Jesse Burkett
Roy Campanella
Max Carey
Frank Chance
"Happy" Chandler
Oscar Charleston
Jack Chesbro
Fred Clarke
John Clarkson
Mickey Cochrane
Jimmy Collins
Eddie Collins
Charlie Comiskey
Jocko Conlan
Stan Coveleski
Sam Crawford
Joe Cronin
"Kiki" Cuyler
George Davis
"Dizzy" Dean
Bill Dickey
Joe DiMaggio
Larry Doby
Bobby Doerr
"Barney" Dreyfuss
Hugh Duffy
Leo Durocher
Billy Evans
Johnny Evers
"Buck" Ewing
"Red" Faber
Bob Feller
Elmer Flick
Bill Foster
"Rube" Foster
Jimmie Foxx
Charlie Gehringer
Josh Gibson
"Goose" Goslin
Hank Greenberg
Clark Griffith
Burleigh Grimes
"Lefty" Grove
Jesse Haines
"Sliding" Billy Hamilton
"Ned" Hanlon
Will Harridge
"Bucky" Harris
"Gabby" Hartnett
Harry Heilmann
Pete Hill
Harry Hooper
Rogers Hornsby
Waite Hoyt
Carl Hubbell
Miller Huggins
"Monte" Irvin
Travis Jackson
Hughie Jennings
"Ban" Johnson
"Judy" Johnson
Walter Johnson
Addie Joss
Willie Keeler
George Kell
Joe Kelley
"King" Kelly
Kenesaw M. Landis
Fred
Lindstrom
Al Lopez
Ted Lyons
Connie Mack
"Biz" Mackey
Mickey Mantle
"Heinie" Manush
"Rabbit" Maranville
"Rube" Marquard
Tommy McCarthy
Joe McGinnity
John McGraw
Bill McKechnie
John "Bid" McPhee
Johnny Mize
Stan "The Man" Musial
Hank O'Day
Mel Ott
"Satchel" Paige
Herb Pennock
"Gettysburg" Eddie Plank
Cumberland Posey
"Old Hoss" Radbourn
Sam Rice
Branch Rickey
Eppa Rixey
Brooks Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Wilbert Robinson
"Bullet" Joe Rogan
"Red" Ruffing
"Babe" Ruth
Ray Schalk
Frank Selee
Al Simmons
George Sisler
Hilton Smith
Billy Southworth
Albert G. Spalding
Tris Speaker
"Casey" Stengel
Mule Suttles
Bill Terry
Joe Tinker
Cristobal Torriente
"Pie" Traynor
"Dazzy" Vance
"Rube" Waddell
"Honus" Wagner
Bobby Wallace
"Big" Ed Walsh
Paul Waner
Zack Wheat
Deacon White
J.L. Wilkinson
"Smokey" Joe Williams
Vic Willis
"Hack" Wilson
Jud Wilson
"Cy" Young
These players, owners, writers, and announcers came to Hot Springs to train or report on spring training.
* Hall of Fame honoree
"Babe" Adams
"Ginger" Beaum
Sam Bankheadont
Carson Bigbee
Max Bishop
Joe Black
Tommy Bridges
George "Chippy" Britt
Roy Bosson
George "Tioga" Burns
August "Gussie" Busch
"Donie" Bush
"Bullet" Joe Bush
Ray Caldwell
Howie Camnitz
* John Carmichael
Bill Carrigan
Ray Collins
"Shano" Collins
Wilbur Cooper
"Colby" Jack Coombs
* Sam Crane
"Gavvy" Cravath
Lou Criger
Jimmie Crutchfield
Bill Dahlen
Tommy "Tido" Daly
* Dan Daniels
Jack Daubert
Paul "Daffy" Dean
"Bing" Devine
Delahanty Brothers
Babe Didrikson
S.E. Dillon & "Doc" Owens
Bill Dineen
Ray Doan & George Barr
"Turkey" Mike Donlin
"Patsy" Donovan
"Wild Bill" Donovan
"Buttermilk" Tommy Dowd
"Laughing" Larry Doyle
* John Drebinger
Charlie Dressen
* Charles Dryden
George Earnshaw
Luke Easter
Charles Hercules Ebbets
"Kid" Elberfield
Victory Faust
"Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald
"Silver" Flint
Dave "Scissors" Foutz
Buck Freeman
* Hugh Fullerton
Larry Gardner
George Gibson
"Kid" Gleason
George Gore
* Frank Graham
Charlie Grant
Gus Greenlee
Charlie Grimm
"Noodles" Hahn
Ed Hamman
Vic Harris
Charlie Hemphill
Dick Hoblitzell
Gil Hodges
Willis Hudlin
Marshall Hunt
Mike Ilitch
* Jim Isaminger
Tim Jordan
Sid Keener
* John Kieran
"Reindeer" Bill Killifer
"Big Klu" Kluszewski
H.W. Lanigan
Joe Lannin
* Ring Lardner
"Arlie" Latham
"Cookie" Lavagetto
Cliff Lee
"Dutch" Leonard
"Duffy" Lewis
* Fred Leib
Hans Lobert
Dick Lundy
Sherry Magee
Gus Mancuso
"Firpo" Marberry
Leroy Matlock
Jimmy McAleer
* Arch McDonald
Carl Mays
Jack McCallister
"Nuf Ced" McGreevy
* Tom Meany
"Mountain Music" Melton
* Sid Mercer
"Deerfoot" Milan
Dale Mitchell
Johnny Mostil
* Tim Murnane
Don Newcombe
Jack O'Connor
Charlie O'Leary
* Buck O'Neil
Tip O'Neill
"Terrible" Ted Page
Roger Peckinpaugh
"Superman" Pennington
Bruce Petway
Fred Pfeffer
"Deacon" Phillippe
George Pipgras
Harry Pulliam
Jack Quinn
"Double Duty" Radcliffe
Uvoyd Reynolds
* Grantland Rice
Francis Richter
Johnny Rigney
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson
Schoolboy Rowe
"Muddy" Ruel
Dutch Ruether
Jake Ruppert & T.L. Huston
Johnny Sain
George "Tubby" Scales
"Germany" Schaefer
Wally Schang
Al Schacht
Prince Hal Schumacher
"Cy" Seymour
Benjamin Franklin Shibe
Urban Shocker
"Deacon" Scott
Bob Shawkey
Ernie Shore
Earl "Oil" Smith
"Sherry" Smith
* Wendell Smith
Pop Snyder
Louis Sockalexis
"Spec Bebop" & "King Tut"
* The Spink Family
"Country Jake" Stephens
* J. Roy Stockton
Charles A. Stoneham
Billy Sunday
Jesse Tannehill
John I. Taylor
"Patsy" Tebeau
"Birdie" Tebbetts
Jim Thorpe
The Tugerson Brothers
George "The Bull" Uhle
Bobby Veach
Chris Von der Ahe
John L. Webb
Earl Whitehill
Frank Wickware
"Ned" Williamson
"Smoky" Joe Wood
Dave Wyatt
"Chief" Zimmer
Erected 2012.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Sports. In addition, it is included in the Baseball Hall of Famers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.
Location. 34° 30.911′ N, 93° 4.376′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. Marker is on Whittington Avenue near Woodfin Street. Marker is within the area defined by the old Whittington Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 847 Whittington Ave, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Babe Ruth (within shouting distance of this marker); Fogel Field (within shouting distance of this marker); Babe Ruth Changed Baseball Forever (within shouting distance of this marker); Smoky Joe Wood (within shouting distance of this marker); Whittington Park (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mel Ott (about 500 feet away); Lefty Grove (approx. 0.6 miles away); Bill Dickey (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hot Springs.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Hot Springs, Arkansas Historic Baseball Trail
Credits. This page was last revised on June 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 18, 2017, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,075 times since then and 49 times this year. Last updated on April 21, 2017, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. Photo1. submitted on April 19, 2017, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
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