Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-08
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ;, FRANCIS ,r4up
Pied Piper of St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG. FLA, APRIL 8-Forty-Six years
after he to the city of benches die Al Lang
has about decided abandon his ambition having all
l6 major league ball clubs training Florida I'VE have
IL of Them Al says land guess I'll have stand
that figure"
Lang is spare but sprightly old gafer who will turn
81 next November Back in 1911 doctor told Lang that
he had of the stomach He gave me months"
AL says Then he said that if moved to Florida might
stretch it a little"
Lang who was identified with laundry firm in Pitts
burgh, ncurable baseball fan. When he to
St Petersburg he missed the and his heroes, eSpe
ciay Hans Wagner and Fred Clarke. He decided to do
something about it.
First he conned Barney Dreyfuss into bringing the
Pittsburgh Pirates to Florida for training In 1914 he put
the pressure Branch Hickey then running the St Louis
Browns.
There was fellow in bank back in Pittsburgh who
had gone to school with Hickey AL reveals Il used his
influence persuade Branch He brought the Browns to
Florida and set up camp at place called Coffee Pot
Bayou, which is up toward the north"
THAT WAS IN 1914 The next year Lang stubbornly
refusing to cash in his chips. ourneyed to Philadelphia
sold the Phe the idea of training at ST. Peters,
burg They the pennant that year, after finishing
sixth in IA Grover Cleveland Alexander had 310 record
The odd part was that william F. Baker who owned
the Phlies of He said he didn't want
train Florida Lang said Two years or so later
he out of business
When AL came to ST. Petersburg the population
mere 5000. Today it is 100000 You drive bumper to
Naturally Al acquired of the worldly goods but he
insists that he is not wealthy man and that not one
dime made from baseball efforts.
when the city built that ball park 1947 and named
it after meal Lang Field-thats all wanted he says
AT time it the best park in all of Florida If
say so myself, it's still quite showplace."
ONE BY ONE, Lang lured ball clubs to Florida He
spoke eoquenty of the weather and of facilities the State
actually did not have at the time On the fulfilled promise
that new park would be built for them AL landed the
Boston 1922 Then he went after the New York
clubs
Il wanted them real bad" Lang admits. I'm 1925
went John McGraw of the Giants and Ed Barrow
Of the Yankees gave them the sales pitch They came
Reluctantly Lang for mayor of ST. Petersburg In
1917 and served ermSa total OF four years There
had been and have better mayors AL says Il guess
busy getting ball clubs TO come 10 FLORIDA lor
the training season to be a good mayor"
AS of now all clubs except the New York Giants Cleve
land Indians Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles train
in Florida There countless minor league teams that
have been led to Florida by the srngy Pied Piper from
Pittsburgh.
AT ONE TIME LANG'S hope that all of the big
league teams would condition their athletes in Florida
Now AL figures he's gone far he 60
Those other four clubs to prefer the Far West
he says and that's for them to decide We've got enough
teams right here in Florida and BESIDES we don't have
cities to take any clubs"
Lang is not actively PROSECUTING these days He figures
he doesn't have to do it.
Look at your pennant and World Series cham
pons the years. he says Just about all get their
training in Florida"