FRENCH LICK, INDIANA, MARCH 15, 1945. Several spring training camps opened on this date in 1945, but not in the hot-spots you’d expect. The country was still in the midst of World War II. Travel restrictions forced teams to train close to home. Indiana became a hot-spot:
New York Yankees – Atlantic City, NJ
Cleveland Indians – LaFayette, IN
Chicago White Sox – Terre Haute, IN
Boston Red Sox – Pleasantville, NJ
The Detroit Tigers in – Evansville, IN
The St. Louis Cardinals – Cairo, IL
The Chicago Cubs – French Lick, IN
The Pittsburgh Pirates – Muncie, IN
… Just to name a few.
Major League Baseball also drastically limited exhibition games at the urging of The United States Office of Defense Transportation. Teams could only play games with other teams if they were on a direct route to their home city. Side trips were not allowed. Some teams played very few exhibition games against other teams that spring. But there is always Indiana.
Contributing sources:
Spring Training Notes, Los Angeles Times, March 15, 1945
United Press, March 16, 1945
The Baseball Guru