As Cardinals spring training is drawing to an end, they close out their camp as part of almost 100 years of spring training in South Florida.
Florida as a state, has been hosting spring training since the 1800’s when according to Florida Weekly, “the Washington Nationals decamped for Jacksonville in 1888.”
According to Florida Weekly spring training has been taking place in Palm Beach County for 97 years. They were playing games in the 1920’s and here they are still playing in the mid 2020’s.
Palm Beach County– where Jupiter is located– is home to the Nationals, Cardinals, Marlins and Astros spring training camps.
The grapefruit league in Palm Beach County took off in 1928. The St. Louis Browns had their first spring training in West Palm Beach.
1928 was a big year both for St. Louis and baseball: Charles Lindbergh made his famous flight across the Atlantic and Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs.
As far as the Cardinals go, they spent years in St. Petersburg before moving to Jupiter.
They have traveled to Florida for spring training in all but three years since 1927. From 1943 to 1945, during World War II, the Cardinals prepared for the season in nearby Cairo, Ill.
From 1938 to 1942, and then from 1946 to 1997, the Cardinals’ trained in St. Petersburg, FL When that area was awarded an expansion team, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Cardinals decided it would be best to move their spring home, so they relocated to the other side of Florida, to Jupiter, in 1998 and have been there since.
The Cardinals’ share their Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium home with the Miami Marlins after first splitting the facility with the Montreal Expos from 1998 through 2002.
As a result, the Cardinals play the Marlins more than any other spring training opponent – trading off which team is the home squad and which is listed as the visiting team. Each team has its own clubhouse, office, training, and workout facilities outside the stadium, with the Cardinals facilities located beyond the right field wall and the Marlins’ facilities located behind the left-field wall.
