![]() ![]() One of the many traditions of spring training is that pitchers and catchers report first. This is because, historically, so many pitchers and catchers joined a baseball team that teams needed to go through them first in order to see which ones they didn’t need. Both of the popular versions of the story claim that the name came about when a grapefruit was thrown at Brooklyn Dodgers manager Wilbert Robinson. One story claims right fielder Casey Stengel threw the fruit, while the more popular version claims that pioneer American aviator Ruth Law threw the grapefruit. The Cactus League is named after the fact that cacti are common in Arizona. There are competing stories as to how the Grapefruit League was named, however. The two leagues have interesting stories behind their names. Florida Grapefruit and Cactus League play will open on Saturday, Feb. It began when teams from colder climates started to practice in warmer states during the spring in order to prepare for the season. Eventually, as more teams joined in on the practice, exhibition games began to be played between the teams, and a league was formed. The league, later called the Grapefruit League, began in Mississippi, but eventually moved to Florida after the mayor of Tampa offered teams payments of $100 per player to hold spring training there. The Grapefruit League has remained in Florida since 1915, and in 1947, the Cactus League was established in Arizona by Bill Veeck, who wanted a competitor for the Grapefruit League. Major League Baseball unveiled the full schedule for Florida Spring Training 2022 presented by Camping World on Wednesday. MLB spring training has existed since 1886. ![]()
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