Spring Training Tradition

Courtesy good-times.webshots.com/photo/1293459260066898777VKzCjP

I have obviously never participated in a major league spring training. At 31 and overweight I am pretty sure I never will.  My playing days ended a decade ago.  But I played college ball for a former major leaguer who ran his program a lot like a pro camp. I have done many of the drills that the Tigers pitchers and catchers are doing this week.  Bullpen sessions, PFPs, conditioning, weights, meetings.  The thing we didn't have was the tradition of a place like Tiger Town at Lakeland.  The Tigers have been holding Spring Training in Lakeland Florida since 1934.  No team has had a longer relationship with a city for Spring Training than the Tigers.  Before Joker Marchant Stadium opened in 1966, the Tigers played at Henley Field in Lakeland.  The relationship between the Tigers and the city of Lakeland is one of the last of its kind in baseball.  As more and more teams leave the Grapefruit League for the Cactus league many of the oldest spring training relationships are dying.  The Dodgers left Holman Stadium in Vero Beach Florida for Arizona.  The Dodgers had been holding spring training in Vero Beach since 1948.  Over the past 20 years 6 teams have left the Grapefruit League for the Cactus League.  After long having held the distinction of hosting the majority of big league teams, this year there is now an even split at 15 a piece.  The trend of East to West is likely to continue in the coming years and before long the Grapefruit League may be shadow of itself.  Interestingly enough, the Tigers were the first team to leave their spring training home.  The Tigers were the first MLB team to hold Spring Training in Arizona.  In 1929 the Tigers held 2 spring games.  They then conducted Spring Training in Tampa before hopscotching their way back across the US over the next 4 years before finally landing in Lakeland.  I can't imagine the Tigers having spring training anywhere but Lakeland.  One of life goals is to reach a place where I can leave work and head to Lakeland and watch spring training every year.  I don't want to wait until I become one of those snowbirds either.  Come on Lottery.