While it was freezing here in March of 1943, it was something felt by everyone across
the league... every Major League team was battling the snow and bitter cold
that would keep their pitchers from warming up properly. The Philadelphia Athletics
were a particularly bad team and they were on their way to an awful 49-105
finish for dead last in the American League. There was no hitting and no power
on this team (Bob Estalella was easly the best player on the team leading in
nearly everything... with his mediocre 11 HR and .259 batting average). On the
mound, Lum Harris would sum up the pitching staff best with his numbers of 7-21,
4.20. When the Athletics broke camp for Philadelphia in April, the ballpark
would move on to host the Interstate League |
which is one of only 5 Minor Leagues out of the over 50 in professional baseball
which had suspended play due to the war. Spring Training would return again
in March of 1944 when the Philadelphia Phillies... not the Athletics, would
make this their spring training home. The Athletics would move to a different
Spring Training park nearby... Frederick's McCurdy Field in Maryland. The Phillies
meanwhile would leave little Hershey Park Athletic Field behind and make this
their home for the rest of the war, playing here in February and March of 1944
and 1945. Even when the war effort was over, the Phillies and Athletics would
play many exhibition games here on their way home to Philadelphia... often against
each other. |