Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-18
HAVANA IDEAL
TRAINING SPOT.
WRITES CRANE
Veteran Player and Scrie Sayo
Big League CLIO Would Be
Wise in Going There.
BY Sam Crane.

IAVANA, CUBA, Jan. 17.-H4v~
ing survived a Havana New
Years Eve celebration-anJ
one in New York City has nothing
on the Cuban capitals idea of Goins
the thing in due and proper style
am strong advocate of Havana as q
training place for big league clubs
from the United States.
The only possible objection is tina
there are too many attractions here to
distract the attention of the PLAYERS
from the business they have in hand
But in any place in the States
whether big or small, those player
VINO are so inclined can find ways TO
handicap and hamper their training
so | consider it is up TO the player
themselves rather than to the place III
which they prepare for o champion
ship campaign.
II any player is disposed TO pleas
| ure rather than work he will inva
riably find ways and means to graft
fy 1t, no matter where his trainins
camp may be located.
surely the hotels here are of the
| best, and the climate in March, ] an,
| told. can not be eXCelled as regards
| suitable conditions and pleasant days
| in successive regularity.
Park Model One.
Alamendores Park Is a model one
being. as 1t Is. turf covered on both
inheld and outfield, a condition that
exists on very few grounds in the
Southern States OF our own land.
Club owners of the two big lea cues
count on an expense account fol
spring training from SIS, 600 to $4,000
, and consider themselves extremely
lucky II they escape with an expen-
| diture OF the smaller sum. In Hava
ma, though, | am confident they woulo
be able to return home with q big
! balance on the right side of the
| ledger have seen four games
| played here between local clubs. and,
| although II is a championship race,
still the Alamendores are making q
runaway of 1t to a certain extent, and
! still there have been crowds number
ing from 1000 TO 5000 at every game
The Alamendores, Havana and Fe
! clubs, the three that are contesting
| for the championship, would all jun
at the chance to play any club from
! the States during the training sea-
son, and three games a week, includ
| ing Sundays. would prove exceeding
| y profitable.
Conditions Ideal.
| There is a large American popula-
| ton here, who, while not showing
| much interest in the local race, would
| take pride In club from their own
country and turn out accordingly
| Conditions, in my opinion, look per
| feet for both the proper conditioning
| Of American players and q profitable
! financial return Us well. II l had the
selection of a training place for any
club from the States l would no
| hesitate an instant In selecting Ha
Vana.
The trip home of the visiting play
ers could be taken as is now gener
ally--by easy stages. II is only
seven-hour voyage from Havana 70
Key West, and cities like M;
| ami and Jacksonville and other Flog
ida cities that have clubs could cas-
| lily be taken in on the way up 70
Southern Association, Virginia League
and International League cities.
Well posted baseball men, like
Frank Bancroft and others, who have
visited Havana frequently, have been
unanimous In their approval and ad
vocacy OF the city as a place for
training, and their experience makes
their opinion of value
II is said that the only objection
| raised TO Havana by Manager Nc
Graw was the too many attractions
offered the players, but there are
places near here where the players
could stop and be able to train Oh
the local park as we'll and still have
the benefit of country air and sur
roundings.
| look to see an American club to
choose Havana as a training spot in
the very near future.