St Pete., if you go
October 8, 2008
... Okay after my assault on this town, it's time for something positive.
1922-37 Spring Trng camp of the Boston Braves/Bees. Last visit, we made it a point to visit the hallowed ground of Crescent Lake Park. 1925-61 Spring Trng camp of the Yankees.
Up the road from downtown St Pete a few blocks (walking distance), sits a special parcel of land. Crescent Lake Park is off the beaten path and the neighborhood surrounding the park feels worlds away from modern day Florida.
The lake is small and a very quiet, shady stroll on a Fall afternoon. The players of yesteryear would often fish in the lake and the park workers told me the catch can still be amazing. When you get around the lake you approach the old clubhouse and groundskeepers bldgs that overlook a meticulously landscaped ballfield. The place is completely accessible.
"... at Crescent Lake Field, Ruth gave up shagging balls in rightfield because several alligators had emerged from the lake which bordered the outfield. The park is today known as Huggins-Stengel Field, in honor of former Yankee managers Miller Huggins and Casey Stengel. That field was the first ever used by the expansion New York Mets, who took the field there for the first time in 1962, replacing the Yankees, who ended a 35-year relationship with the St. Petersburg the year before."
I recommend standing at homeplate for a few moments, and imagine Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and a young Mantle as well as their Major League opponents standing on that same spot during exhibition games. It's a magical place that few frequent.
Then and now; Spring 1936, Rookie Joe DiMaggio at Crescent Lake Park. Bottom photo, Sept 16, 2008
-fdnyLadder7
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