1927 Yankees: Spring Training in St. Petersburg, Florida



Baseball History Comes Alive Now Ranked #2 by Feedspot Among All Internet Baseball History Websites and Blogs!

Guest Submissions from Our Readers Always Welcome!

Click here for details

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive! for automatic updates (sign-up block found in right side-bar)

As a Free Bonus for subscribing, you’ll get instant access to my two Special Reports: Memorable World Series Moments and Gary’s Handy Dandy World Series Reference Guide!

 “Yankees at Spring Training” Photo Gallery
Click on any image below to see photos in full size and to start Photo Gallery:

1927 Yankees: Spring Training in St. Petersburg, Florida




My post this morning about the 1956 Cubs spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona got me to thinking about other spring training sites. So I dug through my files and pulled out this great photo from 1927. It’s the Yankees at St. Petersburg, their spring home from 1925 until  1942. They also returned there in 1947.

The Yankees moved to St. Petersburg in 1925 from their previous home in New Orleans. The facility was originally called Crescent Lake Field, but in 1931 was renamed in honor of Miller Huggins, their great manager from 1918 to his death in 1929, winner of pennants in 1921, ’22, ’23, ’26, and ’28, plus World Series championships in 1923, ’27, and ’28. 

It’s probably a myth, but it was once said that Babe Ruth once refused to shag fly balls at this facility because alligators had begun to sunbathe along the bank of the lake, which happened to be part of the outfield!

Anyway…I did the player IDs for this photo a few years ago. See how many players from what many call the greatest team ever you can pick out before looking at the names.

Hall-of-Famers players in the photo: Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Earle Combs, Herb Pennock, Waite Hoyt. Plus owner Jacob Ruppert and manager Miller Huggins

1927 Yankees

Top Row, L-R: Don Miller (P), Walter Beall? (P), Ray Morehead (2B), Paul Krischell (scout), Lou Gehrig (1B), Babe Ruth (OF), Johnny Grabowski (C), Dutch Reuther (P), George Pipgras (P), Jake Ruppert (owner), Mark Koening (SS), Bob Meusel (OF), Earle Combs (CF), Wilcy Moore (P), Julian Wera (3B), Pat Collins (C), Mark Roth )Trav. Sec.), Al Brennan (Sec.). Middle Row (kneeling between rows), L-R: Ben Paschal (OF), Urban Shocker (P), Hank Johnson (P). Front Row, L-R: Cecric Durst (OF), Charlie O’Leary (Coach), Eddie Bennett (mascot), Unidentified, Myles Thomas (P), Joe Giard (P), Bob Shawkey (P), Miller Huggins (Mgr.), Herb Pennock (P), Art Fletcher (Coach), Waiter Hoyt (P), Benny Bengough (C), Mike Gazella (3B), John Daugherty (Sec.), Joe Dugan (3B).

Shop MLB.com. The Official Online Shop of Major League Baseball.

Gary Livacari 

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Count down to Opening Day: 40 days…and counting!

Check out my latest book, recently nominated for the SABR 1919 Lawrence Ritter award: Reflections On the 1919 Black Sox: Time to Take Another Look now available on Amazon in e-book and paperback. All profits go to the Illinois Veterans Foundation

Add your name to the petition to help get Gil Hodges elected to the Hall of Fame: https://wp.me/P7a04E-57h

New Poll Question: How Do You Feel About the New 3-Batter minimum Rule for Relief Pitchers? Voice your opinion: https://wp.me/p7a04E-6UO

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Click here to view Amazon’s privacy policy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.