Ban Johnson Park

Beginning with the spring of 1886, when the Chicago White Stockings' (today's Chicago Cubs) President Albert Spalding, the founder of A.G Spalding, and player/manager Cap Anson brought their players to Hot Springs, Arkansas. The concept was for the players to have training and fitness before the start of the regular season. This move gave credit to Hot Springs being called the "birthplace of spring training baseball". Both Spalding and Anson, liked the city and the natural springs for their players. They first played in an area behind what is now the Garland County Courthouse on Ouachita Avenue and was called the Hot Springs Baseball Grounds. Many other teams followed and began training in Hot Springs Springs[9]

In 1894 Whittington Park opened as a replacement for the Hot Springs Baseball Grounds. Along with Majestic Park, built in 1909, and nearby Fogel Field, built in 1912, Hot Springs developed training venues to meet the demand for Major League teams.[10][11] Later, another venue, Sam Guinn Field was built in 1933 at 497 Crescent Avenue to host Negro leagues spring training.[12][13]

The original playing field was estimated to be between 500–600 feet (150–180 m) to center field. In 1910, the original grandstand was demolished and home plate moved, giving the field shorter dimensions. In 1938, the right field fence was heightened by 15 feet (4.6 m) because right field distance was only 260 feet (79 m).[6]

Over 130 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame players, including Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Cap Anson, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Walter Johnson, Rogers Hornsby, Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial and Satchel Paige were involved in training or spring training games at Whittington Park.[14] The park was also utilized by the House of David teams, and for baseball schools. The bearded House of David traveling baseball team used Whittington Field and Hot Springs for their training site.[15][16][17] Major League teams training at Whittington Park between 1896 and 1926 were the Cleveland Spiders, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.[8]

Whittington Park was home to the Negro league Hot Springs Arlingtons from 1896 to 1903 and the Hot Springs Blues in 1904.[18]

Hot Springs Alligator Farm, 1924

St. Patrick's Day, 1918, is nicknamed the "Day that changed Baseball Forever".[11] On that day, Babe Ruth hit a long Home Run into the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo. The story goes that on March 17, 1918, Babe Ruth, then an accomplished 23-year-old Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher, altered the course of baseball history. Red Sox first baseman Dick Hoblitzel was unable to play in the opening exhibition game against Brooklyn at Whittington Park. Ruth (coming off a 24–13 season) was a last minute replacement at first base, his first time at a position other than pitcher.

Ruth would hit two long home runs that day while playing the field for the first time. His first home run was a long blast that landed in a wood pile. However, his second Home run is legendary in its record setting length and eventual effect on Ruth. It was a grand slam, a shot that traveled an astonishing estimated 573 feet (175 m),[19][20] sailing out of the park, across the entire span of Whittington Avenue, landing in a pond the alligator farm across the street. Even the Dodgers stood and cheered. Amazingly, Ruth would prove it was no fluke as he hit another home run into the alligator farm a week later, while pitching for the Red Sox.[21]

On March 15, 2011, an event was held to recognize and celebrate the famous Ruth home run at the site.[21] Bill Jenkinson, a noted baseball historian was part of the event, visited the site and helped to authenticate the 573-foot (175 m) home run.[22] About the home run distance, Jenkins said, "No one can confirm it with complete certainty, but the data points in that direction. As an historian I must remain objective, and I am simply stating that, either way, what Ruth did that day was literally amazing."[21]

Ruth's performance that day at Whittington Park led to a change in Ruth's career and a major change in baseball history. As a result of his hitting, the Red Sox began rethinking Ruth's dual abilities during and after 1918. To begin, Ruth would alternate in the 1918 season, pitching less and playing the field often. His dual abilities helped lead the Red Sox to the 1918 World Series Championship. Hitting more regularly in 1918, Ruth hit a league leading 11 home runs to go with a 13–7 record (and two wins in the Series).[23] Eventually Ruth stopped pitching and became a hitter, with results of legend that exploded after his 1920 sale to the New York Yankees: Lifetime, .342 average; 714 Home Runs; 2062 RBI'S; 2174 Runs Scored; 1.164 OPS.[14][21][23][24][25]

Honus Wagner 1911 batting

Along with hosting eight Major League teams, Whittington Park was the home to Hot Springs minor league teams. The Hot Springs Bathers played in the Cotton States League from 1938 to 1941 as an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1938) and the Detroit Tigers (1939-1941) and an earlier team called the Bathers played in the Arkansas State League in 1894 and 1897 and the Southwestern League in 1898. The Hot Springs Vaporites (1908–1909) and Hot Springs Vapors (1906) also played in the Arkansas State League.[26]

A. P. Martin's Barber College Team vs Vapor City Tigers, at Whittington Park, Baseball Ad

Babe Ruth Red Sox, 1918. In spring training 1918 Pitcher Babe Ruth hit a ball 573 feet (175 m). The ball landed in the alligator farm across the street from Whittington Park

From 1933 to 1938, Ray L. Doan operated the "All-Star Baseball School" at the park.[27] The "school" attracted thousands of younger players, with 1938 topping at 450 attendees. Instructors included: Rogers Hornsby, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Red Faber, Dizzy Dean, George Sisler, Bob Feller, Tris Speaker and Burleigh Grimes. Attendees included legendary female athlete Babe Didrickson, who attended in 1934, after already being an Olympic Gold Medalist in the 1932 Summer Olympic Games.[28] Future Major League player Sam Narron also enrolled. In 1936, Doan installed lights at the park to begin night usage and games.[11][29]

Boston Red Sox players in Hot Springs, Arkansas for spring training, left to right: Olaf Hendrikson, Larry Gardner, Buck O'Brien, Heinie Wagner, Steve Yerkes and Hugh Bradley boarding train

To coincide with Doan's "baseball School", Major League Umpire George Barr operated his George Barr Umpire School, which is recognized as the first ever umpire instructional school. Future Major League Umpires Bill McKinley and Scotty Robb were attendees.[30]

In 1939, Hornsby took over for Doan and started the Rogers Hornsby Baseball College. Hornsby's operation was housed at Majestic Field, but utilized Whittington Park and other fields in Hot Springs, including Whittington Park and Fogel Field, which was located behind the Alligator Farm. Hornsby's college operated until 1952. Hornsby's "college" would attract 100-200 prospective professionals, with scouts present, for six week sessions. Hornsby had legendary instructors: Cy Young, Jimmie Foxx, Tris Speaker and Schoolboy Rowe.[8][31]

After World War II halted many baseball leagues, the Bathers were gone and Major League teams had moved to warmer climates for spring training. In 1942, the St. Louis Browns and Pittsburgh Pirates outlined plans to move their spring training from California to Ban Johnson Park.[32] However those plans never materialized and the future use of Ban Johnson Field was affected. In 1947, with no baseball tenants, the ‘Whittington Park Speedway’ racetrack began operation on the site. To replace Ban Johnson Field, Jaycee Park was built at the Majestic Field site on the corner of Belding Avenue and Carson Street. Later, from 1948 to 1951, the Chicago White Sox would return Spring training to Hot Springs, utilizing Jaycee Field as their training site.[8][33]

The Pittsburgh Pirates trained for over a decade at Whittington Park. Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner became a fixture in the city. As evidence of this Wagner purchased and donated basketball uniforms and equipment to Hot Springs High School in 1912. The uniforms were in the Pittsburgh Pirates colors of black and gold and subsequently the high school switched permanently to those colors. Wagner also refereed a basketball game for the school that season, something he would later repeat.[34]

Today, there are four plaques at the site as part of the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail: Whittington Park, Mel Ott, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth.

The Whittington Park marker reads:

The Mel Ott plaque reads as follows:

The plaque for Honus Wagner states:

The plaque for Babe Ruth at the Arkansas Alligator Farm frontage states: