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

TAVANA. CUBA, Jan. t7-Hav
ing survived a Havana New
Years Eve celebrate on--sr6
one in New York City has nothing
on the Cuban capitals idea of doir j
the thing in due and proper stvla- 4
am a strong advocate of Havana a.
training place for big league clvbs
from the United States.
The only possible objection is tia,
there are too many attractions hare il
distract the attention of the plsvers
from the business they have in hand
But in any place in the States
whether big or small, those plaver
who are so inclined can find wavs n
handicap and hamper their training
So / consider 1t is up to the PLAYERS
themselves rather than to the place in
which they prepare for a champion.
ship campaign.
If any player is disposed to pleas
ure rather than work he will inys.
rlably find ways and means to graft
~ 1t, no matter where his training
| camp may be located.
Surely the hotels here are of tha
| best, and the climate in March. I am
told, can not be excelled as regards
suitable conditions and pleasant days
in successive regularity.
Park a Model One.
Alamendores Park is a model one
| being, as it is, turf on both
inf1eld and outfield, a condition that
exists on very few grounds in ths
Southern States of our own land.
Club owners of the two big leagues
| count on an expense account for
spring training from $1,000 to $4,000
and consider themselves extremely
lucky if they escape with an expen-
| diture of the smaller sum. In Hava-
ma, though. am confident they would
| be able to return home with a big
balance on the right side Of the
ledger. ! have seen four games
played here between local clubs, and,
| although it is a championship race.
still the Alamendores are making a
runaway of It 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 jump
at the chance to play any club from
the States during the training sea
son, and three games week, includ-
ing Sundays, would prove exceeding
| ly profitable
Conditions Ideal.
| There is a large American popu!a
ton here, who, while not showing
much interest in the local race, would
take pride in a 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 a profitable
| financial return as well. If I had the
selection of training place for any
| club from the States | would MOI
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. 1t is only
seven-hour voyage from Havana 10
Key West and cities like Nj
ami and Jacksonville and other Flor
| ida cities that have clubs could cas-
| lily be taken in on the way up to
Southern Association, Virginia League
and International League cities.
Well-posted baseball men, Ike
Frank Bancroft and others, who have
visited Havana frequently, have been
unanimous in their approval and 40
vocacy of the city as a place for
training, and their experience makes
their opinion of value.
1t 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 on
| the local park as well and still nave
| the benefit of country air and sur
roundings.
] look to see an American club 70
| choose Havana as a. training spot III
| the very near future.