European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1950, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A if basketball is nearing the Cham of Pion ship and tournament stage hockey a finest sextet Are battling for playoff berths which mean dollars and Iro phys and skiers still Are Zig sagging along Snow packed Mountain trails. But beginning wednesday All Willii come secondary on that Day the cold March wind and often its accompanying Snow become meaningless. For Down in sunny Florida said the equally warm areas of Arizona my California farther West the Famila crack of Ash meeting horse hide will Echo and re Echo throughout the breadth of . And suddenly wintertime becomes baseball  training for baseball s 16 major league clubs will officially be under  s on first what s on second i Don t know a third baseman the a to Jet and costello comedy routine will be anything but funny As ardent baseball followers attempt to wean the pertinent facts from the reams of copy which will Low from the various training Camps. During the first few Days who will be slaving first base for the Champion new York Yankees and i Don t know Srill More than Likely be the right answer Evhen the Flatbush faithful begin wonder no which of the numerous candidates will Vind up at third base for the National league Champion Brooklyn dodgers. Ten teams will train in Florida four i California and the remaining two in Ari Zona. The Florida lineup is As follows american league new York Yankees it St. Petersburg Boston red sox a Sarasota Detroit tigers at Lakeland Philadelphia athletics at West palm3each, and the Washington senators at Orlando. National  o o k  no Odgers at Vero Beach St. Louis Cardi Las at St. Petersburg Boston braves at3radenton Philadelphia Phillies at Clear water and the Cincinnati reds at Tampa. The California congregation includes a pair of teams from each circuit the Chicago White sox and it. Louis Browns of the american and he Chicago cubs and the Pittsburgh pirates of the National. The Chison Wil 06 at Pasadena the Browns at Burbank the cubs on Catalina Island and the pirates at san. Bernadino. The Cleveland indians of the american league and the new York giants of the senior Loop provide the Arizona representation the indians training at Tucson and the giants at.  training has come a Long Way since its inception by Adrian pop Anson of the Chicago cubs at the turn of the Century. That great National league Star fat Bas Balters Migrate to sunny Southi tend 16 major league clan to open Camps in the Citrus by Bill Zalenski staff sports writer probably had no idea what he started when he took a dozen of his players to hot Springs ark., for preseason work outs. Anson 8 brainchild is now As much a part of the National game As Peanut Sand hot dogs. Spring training has become in fact most important part of a multimillion Dollar business. That it has risen to Sucha High estate is even More remarkable when one considers that on the whole the entire venture is a losing proposition. And As most ballplayers will attest it i easier to move the Rock of Gibraltar than to Pluck a few extra dollars from a club Waer s pocket. However aside from the Dollar stand Point there Are compensations. As a starter it serves As an Ideal prescription for the removal of any excess suet picked up during the Bumpious midwinter banquet circuit All the while sharpening reflexes made Dull during months of Idle Ness. Then too it gives each manager a Chance to determine who is ready for the starting lineup. And last but not least in the matter of publicity. As the training season progresses and the teams wind their Way North interest in major league cities mounts in Crescendo accordingly. The result is that Long Idle turnstiles get a rousing workout on opening Day. M Ost people have a natural tend ency to connect a midwinter trip to a warmer climate with Sun Bath ing relaxation and in general a goo time. While it is True that All Are indulged in by the majority of the ballplayers inspiring training in the main the pre season Agenda consists mostly of handwork sweat and often Heartbreak. Before baseball commissioner a. A Happy Chandler handed Down an edict two years ago outlawing any training activity before March 1, some Cluba opened their Spring bases As Early As mid february principally for the Benefito 4high Price rookies and -. Olp Mem. Pitchers and catchers. Now. However ballplayers Start together. The fact that the player does t Start drawing his salary until the season actually gets under Way makes the routine appear that much harder. There was a time when the baseball player could condition slowly exercising just enough so that he would be ready to go when opening Day arrived. However Money Wise club owners have Learned that they can defray some of the expense of Spring training through exhibition games and barnstorming Tours. The result is that most clubs Start playing Ball within 10 Days after setting up Camp and often play up to 40 games in a series of one Day stands As they wind their Way  a general Rule there is Little favor it ism during the first three or four Day sin Camp. During treat Early stage grizzled veterans whose pay checks Call for up wards of $20,000 and the greenest rookies stand Side by Side sweating out lengthy calisthenic and getting themselves Cov ered with grime and dust practising inthe sliding pit. As players begin to round into shape and the seemingly difficult exercise be comes a matter of routine Spring training no longer is work but instead a dog fight among veterans who attempt to show they re improved with age and rookies who go All out in Effort to prove they Are worthy of major league status. In the Long run it is the Rookie who has the hardest fight. The Veteran who has proved himself in the course of several major league seasons has All the advantages. It for one reason or another he fails to respond in his expected fashion during the Early phases of the Grapefruit league the Toga Given to the exhibition season his failure is chalked off to a slow Starti with the belief that he will eventually round into form. With the Rookie there is no second Hance. With the exception of Bonus players who can not be Farmed out unless they Are waived by All other major league teams the Rookie s fight is a fight for survival. Unless he is an immediate Success the chances Are that he will Bethe recipient of a one Way ticket Back to the minors before the club Breaks Camp. And while the teams Are rounding int playing shape for openers which Are still a month and a half away their Progress will be watched by eager and anxious followers in snowy climes. And while the sports headlines May still be screaming of basketball hockey and skiing sport conscious America will be thinking at baseball Donnas Chi Eai psf Graf Rosr a the stars and stripes feature Section