GUIDE TO: THE GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE
FLORIDA
ST. PETERSBURG
The end of Pinellas Peninsula is covered by the town, and the town by nearly 5,000 benches where the weary can rest. The place isn't noted for teenagers but there are shuffleboard, wonderful beaches, all kinds of boating, from row to yacht, and all kinds of fishing, from off a pier to off the deep end. The dogs chase the rabbit until the middle of March, and you won't have time for all the sightseeing trips.
YANKEES
Mar. 10, 11, Cards at St. Pete; 12, Red Sox at Sarasota; 13, Red Sox at St. Pete; 14, Braves at Bradenton; 15, Phils at St. Pete; 16, White Sox at St. Pete; 17, Cards at St. Pete; 18, Athletics at W. Palm Beach; 19N, 20N, Dodgers at Miami.
CARDINALS
Mar. 10,11, Yanks at St. Pete; 12, Pirates at St. Pete; 13, Reds at Tampa; 14, Tigers at St. Pete; 15, Tigers at Lakeland; 16, Braves at Bradenton; 17, Yanks at St. Pete; 18, White Sox at St. Pete; 19, Pirates at St. Pete; 20, Braves at St. Pete.
LAKELAND
A short hike from Tampa but in the Florida Alps, altitude 215 ft. You can hit the strawberry festival at nearby Plant City, fish the lakes, drive up north to watch the citrus packers at Dade City, drive south to see Frank Lloyd Wright's idea of a college (Florida Southern).
TIGERS
Mar. 10, Phils at Clearwater; 11, Red Sox at Sarasota; 12, Braves at Bradenton; 13, Braves at Lakeland; 14, Cards at St. Pete; 15, Cards at Lakeland; 16, Athletics at Lakeland; 17, Phils at Lakeland; 18, Phils at Clearwater; 19, Red Sox at Lakeland; 20, Red Sox at Sarasota.
DAYTONA BEACH
Occupies the World's Most Famous Beach, and you can drive over 23 miles of (usually) hard-packed sand where the speed boys have been racing since 1902. Daytona's famed sea gulls will all but perch on your head; there's a boardwalk with the usual equipment, and tiny cars and bikes to rent for beach locomotion. Fifteen miles of motels to choose from, some good restaurants, especially Chez Bruchez and Delmonico's, and a neat-as-a-pin town across the Halifax River.
ORIOLES
Mar. 11, Reds at Daytona Beach; 13, Birmingham at Ocala; 14N, 15N, Dodgers at Miami; 16, Dodgers at Vero Beach; 17, Dodgers at Daytona Beach; 18, Senators at Daytona Beach; 20, Athletics at Daytona Beach.
ORLANDO
The sea is 40 miles away, but there are more than 30 lakes in town. Winter Garden, 14 miles west, is surrounded by a dozen fishing camps, black bass being the prey. Orlando is a biggish town with plenty of motels. A botanical garden is just northeast and Sanlando Springs, with pool, beach and sulphuric waters, is just north.
SENATORS
Mar. 10, Red Sox at Sarasota; 11, Pirates at Fort Myers; 12, 13, Athletics at West Palm Beach; 16, Reds at Jacksonville; 17, Reds at Orlando; 18, Orioles at Daytona Beach; 19, Athletics at Orlando; 20, Pirates at Orlando.
WEST PALM BEACH
The "west" part is the commercial city, but across Lake Worth is snug and social Palm Beach, a snazzy sanctuary since the days of Flagler. Worth Avenue is a tropical Rue de la Paix, a beautiful street of fine shops where grandes dames pop out of Jaguars to shop in beach pajamas and the young set ambles in shorts, unencumbered by shoes and socks. Taboo and Alibi have music, drinks and soft lights, Maison Lafitte is only one of an assortment of good restaurants and the Patio is the local El Morocco.
ATHLETICS
Mar. 10, Pirates at Fort Myers; 12, 13, Senators at West Palm Beach; 14, White Sox at West Palm Beach; 16, Tigers at Lakeland; 17, White Sox at Tampa; 18, Yanks at West Palm Beach; 19, Senators at Orlando; 20, Orioles at Daytona Beach.
CLEARWATER
This winter refuge for the thin-blooded Yankee sits almost at the neck of the peninsula which is tipped by St. Pete. It has fine beaches, plenty of places to park your family, your yacht or your trailer in appropriate accommodations. There are three golf courses, one of which boasts the largest greens in all of Florida, if that's any distinction or help. The PGA headquarters and its own course are in Dunedin, three miles north.
PHILLIES
Mar. 10, Tigers at Clearwater; 11, White Sox at Clearwater; 12, Reds at Tampa; 13, Pirates at Fort Myers; 14, Pirates at Clearwater; 15, Yanks at St. Pete; 16, Red Sox at Clearwater; 17, Tigers at Lakeland; 18, Tigers at Clearwater; 19, White Sox at Tampa; 20, Pirates B Team at Fort Myers.
TAMPA
Tampa sits inland from St. Pete at the head of Tampa Bay. It talks of pirates, paellas and panatelas. Spaniards called it home before the English were in Jamestown, and later Cubans and Spaniards came north from Key West and settled in Ybor City, a Tampa district which turns out more handmade cigars than any place, and dishes up in dozens of restaurants as fine a gazpacho as you would ever slurp in Madrid.
WHITE SOX
Mar. 10, Reds at Tampa; 11, Phils at Clearwater; 12N, 13, Dodgers at Miami; 14, Athletics at W. Palm Beach; 16, Yanks at St. Pete; 17, Athletics at Tampa; 18, Cards at St. Pete; 19, Phils at Tampa; 20, Reds at Tampa.
REDLEGS
Mar. 10, White Sox at Tampa; 11, Orioles at Daytona Beach; 12, Phils at Tampa; 13, Cards at Tampa; 14, Red Sox at Sarasota; 15, Pirates at Fort Myers; 16, Senators at Jacksonville; 17, Senators at Orlando; 18, Red Sox at Tampa; 19, Braves at Bradenton; 20, White Sox at Tampa.
FORT MYERS
Some 120 miles south of Tampa Bay on the Caloosahatchee River, Fort Myers offers memories of Tom Edison, thousands of gladiolas and dreams of pirate glory. There's an important marine museum and a Donald Ross golf course. Blue jean cruises leave every week for the Everglades around Okeechobee.
PIRATES
Mar. 10, Athletics at Fort Myers; 11, Senators at Fort Myers; 12, Cards at St. Pete; 13, Phils at Fort Myers; 14, Phils at Clearwater; 15, Reds at Fort Myers; 18, Braves at Fort Myers; 19, Cards at St. Pete; 20, Senators at Orlando.
VERO BEACH
On U.S. 1, the highroad between the Keys, Miami and the frozen north. The best sight in town is Dodgertown itself, where Bums and apprentice Bums untie winter knots on land once occupied by the naval air arm. The air is not only lull of baseballs, but grapefruits and oranges as well. Have a look at the citrus shippers and McKee Jungle Gardens, festooned with orchid plants and splattered with lily ponds.
DODGERS
Mar. 10, 11, Braves at Miami; 12N, 13, White Sox at Miami; 14N, 15N, Orioles at Miami; 16, Orioles at Vero Beach; 17, Orioles at Daytona Beach; 19N, 20N, Yanks at Miami.
BRADENTON
Nestles in the west coast sunshine just south of Tampa Bay, less than 50 miles from Tampa City. For beach swimming, take the viaduct road to the offshore islands. This town itself is on the Manatee River, once full of manatees, which are sea cows. (The only sea cow around these days sits in the Sea Zoo south of Daytona where it grows fat and nuzzles its keeper at feeding time.)
BRAVES
Mar. 10, 11, Dodgers at Miami; 12, Tigers at Bradenton; 13, Tigers at Lakeland; 14, Yanks at Bradenton; 15, Red Sox at Bradenton; 16, Cards at Bradenton; 17, Red Sox at Sarasota; 18, Pirates at Fort Myers; 19, Reds at Bradenton; 20, Cards at St. Pete.
SARASOTA
Not only Red Sox from Boston, but circus sock and buskin, too. The big top warms up until March, then heads north. Even after it leaves you can see the Ringling art museum, erected by the great showman to house his vast collection of fine art. Jungle Gardens is south of the museum. Sarasota nurtures a winter sun colony, with swimmin (both pool and Lido Beach), a tarpon tournament and two golf courses, one a Donald Ross, the other named after Bobby Jones.
RED SOX
Mar. 10, Senators at Sarasota; 11, Tigers at Sarasota; 12, Yanks at Sarasota; 13, Yanks at St. Pete; 14, Reds at Sarasota; 15, Braves at Bradenton; 16, Phils at Clearwater; 17, Braves at Sarasota; 18, Reds at Tampa; 19, Tigers at Lakeland; 20, Tigers at Sarasota.
ARIZONA
PHOENIX
The surrounding desert is dotted with luxury hotels and upholstered ranches where a man can sun, dunk in the pools or, should the necessity arise, trundle down to the corral and sign up for riding. Some notable restaurants here, especially the Flame, featuring a bar wherein the tipplers look headlong into a jungle of plants and monkeys; and out of town a bit, El Chorro, where you start out with a drink in front of the roaring outdoor fireplaces.
GIANTS
Mar. 11, Indians at Phoenix; 12, Indians at Tucson, Cubs at Mesa; 13, Indians at Phoenix; 14, Cubs at Phoenix; 15, Indians at Phoenix; 16, Cubs at Phoenix; 18, Indians at Las Vegas; 19, 20, Indians at Los Angeles.
MESA
The town was founded by Mormons and although the Mormon Temple is closed to the public, the grounds are open 8 to 8 every day. Salt River Indian Reservation is to the north, and Scottsdale, one of the Southwest's most engaging towns, on the yonder side of the redskins. It's worth a trip to Scottsdale to park on a red plush cushion of Lulu Belle's Saloon, to gawk at the hirsute characters and shop the western shops.
CUBS
March 10, Indians at Tucson; 12, Giants at Mesa; 13, Indians at Tucson; 14, 16, Giants at Phoenix; 17, Indians at Tucson; 18, Indians B Team at Mesa; 19, 20, Hollywood at Mesa.
TUCSON
In the early 18th century, when the Jesuits established a mission at Tucson, it was called Bac and was inhabited by Indians. Today, it is still inhabited by Indians, but these are from Cleveland, and only seasonally at that. There is a wide assortment of hotels, motels, lodges, ranches and sporting camps to nestle in at night. If you're not baking in the sun, or riding, or gawking at the Tribe, look in at the Mission San Xavier del Bac in the Papago Indian Reservation, or Pascua, the Yaqui Indian village 7 miles north.
INDIANS
Mar. 10, Cubs at Tucson; 11, Giants at Phoenix; 12, Giants at Tucson; 13, Giants at Phoenix, Cubs at Tucson; 15, Giants at Phoenix; 16, Giants B Team at Tucson; 17, Cubs at Tucson; 18, Giants at Las Vegas; 19, 20, Giants at Los Angeles.
FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS
MAP
ORIOLES
DAYTONA BEACH
WHITE SOX REDLEGS
TAMPA
SENATORS
ORLANDO
TIGERS
LAKELAND
CLEAR WATER
PHILLIES
YANKEES CARDINALS
ST. PETERSBURG
DODGERS
VERO BEACH
BRADENTON
BRAVES
SARASOTA
RED SOX
PIRATES
FT. MYERS
ATHLETICS
WEST PALM BEACH
MIAMI
MAP
PHOENIX
GIANTS
CUBS
MESA
INDIANS
TUCSON
IN ARIZONA
Only three of the 16 teams train in Arizona. But two of the three—the Giants and the Indians—copped their league pennants last season, a source of considerable pride to loyal Arizonians.