Ban Johnson Park was a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
stadium located in
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...
. It was also known as Whittington Park and McKee Park. The ballpark was located within today's Whittington Park Historic District and directly across from the still active
Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo.
Originally known as Whittington Park, the ballpark was the
Spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
site for numerous
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
teams, hosting
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
games and served as home for Hot Springs minor league teams. Over 130 Major League
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
inductees played at Whittington Park. In 1918,
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
, then a pitcher for the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
, hit a 573-foot
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
at the park. The park was also home to the ever first Umpire School. In 1935, Whittington Park, was renamed after Hall of Fame baseball pioneer
Ban Johnson
Byron Bancroft Johnson (January 5, 1864 – March 28, 1931) was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League (AL).
Johnson developed the AL—a descendant of the mino ...
, founder of the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
.
History
Early baseball in Hot Springs
Beginning with the spring of 1886, when the Chicago White Stockings' (today's
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
) President
Albert Spalding
Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...
, the founder of
A.G Spalding, and player/manager
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 ...
brought their players to Hot Springs, Arkansas. The concept was for the players to have training and fitness before the start of the regular season. This move gave credit to Hot Springs being called the "birthplace of spring training baseball". Both Spalding and Anson, liked the city and the natural springs for their players. They first played in an area behind what is now the Garland County Courthouse on Ouachita Avenue and was called the Hot Springs Baseball Grounds. Many other teams followed and began training in Hot Springs Springs
In 1894 Whittington Park opened as a replacement for the Hot Springs Baseball Grounds. Along with
Majestic Park, built in 1909, and nearby
Fogel Field, built in 1912, Hot Springs developed training venues to meet the demand for Major League teams.
Later, another venue, Sam Guinn Field was built in 1933 at 497 Crescent Avenue to host
Negro league
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...
s spring training.
The original playing field was estimated to be between to
center field
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...
. In 1910, the original grandstand was demolished and home plate moved, giving the field shorter dimensions. In 1938, the right field fence was heightened by because right field distance was only .
Over 130 Major League
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
players, including
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
,
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...
,
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 ...
,
Honus Wagner
Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...
,
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...
,
Tris Speaker
Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career bat ...
,
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
,
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 193 ...
,
Mel Ott
Melvin Thomas Ott (March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958), nicknamed "Master Melvin", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Giants, from through .
He batted left-handed an ...
,
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, ...
,
Stan Musial and
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction in ...
were involved in training or spring training games at Whittington Park.
The park was also utilized by the
House of David teams, and for baseball schools. The bearded House of David traveling baseball team used Whittington Field and Hot Springs for their training site. Major League teams training at Whittington Park between 1896 and 1926 were the
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The team competed at the major league level from 1887 to 1899, first for two seasons as a member of the now-defunct American Association (AA), followed ...
,
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
,
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
,
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
,
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
,
Brooklyn Dodgers and
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
.
Whittington Park was home to the
Negro league
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...
Hot Springs Arlingtons from 1896 to 1903 and the
Hot Springs Blues in 1904.
Babe Ruth's historic Alligator Farm home run
![Picturesque Hot Springs Alligator Farm 1924](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Picturesque_Hot_Springs_Alligator_Farm_1924.jpg)
St. Patrick's Day, 1918, is nicknamed the "Day that changed Baseball Forever".
On that day, Babe Ruth hit a long Home Run into the
Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo. The story goes that on March 17, 1918, Babe Ruth, then an accomplished 23-year-old
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
left-handed pitcher, altered the course of baseball history. Red Sox first baseman
Dick Hoblitzel
Richard Carleton "Dick" Hoblitzell (October 26, 1888 – November 14, 1962) played first base in the major leagues from 1908 to 1918. He played for the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox. Nicknamed "Doc" by his teammates, Hoblitzell's baseball c ...
was unable to play in the opening exhibition game against Brooklyn at Whittington Park. Ruth (coming off a 24–13 season) was a last minute replacement at first base, his first time at a position other than pitcher.
Ruth would hit two long home runs that day while playing the field for the first time. His first home run was a long blast that landed in a wood pile. However, his second Home run is legendary in its record setting length and eventual effect on Ruth. It was a
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
, a shot that traveled an astonishing estimated ,
sailing out of the park, across the entire span of Whittington Avenue, landing in a pond the alligator farm across the street. Even the Dodgers stood and cheered. Amazingly, Ruth would prove it was no fluke as he hit another home run into the alligator farm a week later, while pitching for the Red Sox.
On March 15, 2011, an event was held to recognize and celebrate the famous Ruth home run at the site.
Bill Jenkinson, a noted baseball historian was part of the event, visited the site and helped to authenticate the home run. About the home run distance, Jenkins said, "No one can confirm it with complete certainty, but the data points in that direction. As an historian I must remain objective, and I am simply stating that, either way, what Ruth did that day was literally amazing."
Ruth's performance that day at Whittington Park led to a change in Ruth's career and a major change in baseball history. As a result of his hitting, the Red Sox began rethinking Ruth's dual abilities during and after 1918. To begin, Ruth would alternate in the 1918 season, pitching less and playing the field often. His dual abilities helped lead the Red Sox to the
1918 World Series Championship. Hitting more regularly in 1918, Ruth hit a league leading 11 home runs to go with a 13–7 record (and two wins in the Series).
Eventually Ruth stopped pitching and became a hitter, with results of legend that exploded after his 1920 sale to the New York Yankees: Lifetime, .342 average; 714 Home Runs; 2062 RBI'S; 2174 Runs Scored; 1.164 OPS.
Minor league baseball
Along with hosting eight Major League teams, Whittington Park was the home to Hot Springs minor league teams. The
Hot Springs Bathers
The Hot Springs Bathers were a Cotton States League baseball team based in Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States, that played from 1938 to 1941 and from 1947 to 1955. In 1938, they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs. In 1939 and 1940, they were a ...
played in the
Cotton States League
The Cotton States League''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: The Official Record of Minor League Baseball'' – Lloyd Johnson, Steve McDonald, Miles Wolff (editors). Publisher: Baseball America, 1997. Format: Paperback, 672pp. Language: Englis ...
from 1938 to 1941 as an affiliate of the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
(1938) and the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
(1939-1941) and an earlier team called the Bathers played in the
Arkansas State League
The Arkansas State League was an American minor league baseball league that played in various seasons between 1894 and 1935, forming three different times. The first version was in operation in 1894, followed by an 1897 league. The Class D level ...
in 1894 and 1897 and the
Southwestern League
The Southwestern League was the name of four former minor league baseball leagues that operated in the Southwestern United States. The second league, also known as the ''Oklahoma State League'', was in operation for the 1904 season. The third l ...
in 1898. The
Hot Springs Vaporites
Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to:
Food and drink
*Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality
*Hot, a wine tasting descriptor
Places
*Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand
** Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...
(1908–1909) and
Hot Springs Vapors (1906) also played in the Arkansas State League.
Baseball schools
![Babe Ruth Red Sox 1918](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Babe_Ruth_Red_Sox_1918.jpg)
From 1933 to 1938, Ray L. Doan operated the "All-Star Baseball School" at the park. The "school" attracted thousands of younger players, with 1938 topping at 450 attendees. Instructors included:
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 193 ...
,
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...
,
Red Faber
Urban Clarence "Red" Faber (September 6, 1888 – September 25, 1976) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from through , playing his entire career for the Chicago White Sox. He was a member of the 1919 team but was no ...
,
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean (January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974), also known as Jerome Herman Dean (both the 1910 and 1920 Censuses show his name as "Jay"), was an American professional baseball pitcher. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career ...
,
George Sisler
George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis B ...
,
Bob Feller,
Tris Speaker
Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career bat ...
and
Burleigh Grimes
Burleigh Arland Grimes (August 18, 1893 – December 6, 1985) was an American professional baseball player and manager, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. Grimes made the most of this advantage, as well as his unshav ...
. Attendees included legendary female athlete
Babe Didrickson, who attended in 1934, after already being an Olympic Gold Medalist in the
1932 Summer Olympic Games. Future Major League player
Sam Narron also enrolled. In 1936, Doan installed lights at the park to begin night usage and games.
![Boston Red Sox players in Hot Springs, Arkansas, for Spring Training](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Boston_Red_Sox_players_in_Hot_Springs%2C_Arkansas%2C_for_Spring_Training.jpg)
To coincide with Doan's "baseball School", Major League Umpire
George Barr operated his George Barr Umpire School, which is recognized as the first ever umpire instructional school. Future Major League Umpires
Bill McKinley
William Francis McKinley (May 13, 1910 - August 1, 1980) was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1946 to 1965. McKinley umpired 2,977 major league games in his 20-year career. He umpired in four World Series and ...
and
Scotty Robb
Douglas Walker "Scotty" Robb (September 23, 1908 – April 10, 1969) was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1947 to 1952, and the American League in 1952 and 1953.
In 1936, Robb was initially a student in the G ...
were attendees.
In 1939, Hornsby took over for Doan and started the Rogers Hornsby Baseball College. Hornsby's operation was housed at Majestic Field, but utilized Whittington Park and other fields in Hot Springs, including Whittington Park and Fogel Field, which was located behind the Alligator Farm. Hornsby's college operated until 1952. Hornsby's "college" would attract 100-200 prospective professionals, with scouts present, for six week sessions. Hornsby had legendary instructors:
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...
,
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, ...
,
Tris Speaker
Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career bat ...
and
Schoolboy Rowe
Lynwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe (January 11, 1910 – January 8, 1961) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Detroit Tigers (1932–42) and Philadelphia Phillies (1943, 1946–49). He was a three-time A ...
.
End of the ball field (1947)
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
halted many baseball leagues, the Bathers were gone and Major League teams had moved to warmer climates for spring training. In 1942, the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
and
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
outlined plans to move their spring training from California to Ban Johnson Park. However those plans never materialized and the future use of Ban Johnson Field was affected. In 1947, with no baseball tenants, the ‘Whittington Park Speedway’ racetrack began operation on the site. To replace Ban Johnson Field, Jaycee Park was built at the Majestic Field site on the corner of Belding Avenue and Carson Street. Later, from 1948 to 1951, the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
would return Spring training to Hot Springs, utilizing Jaycee Field as their training site.
Wagner donates uniforms
The Pittsburgh Pirates trained for over a decade at Whittington Park. Hall of Fame
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
Honus Wagner became a fixture in the city. As evidence of this Wagner purchased and donated basketball uniforms and equipment to
Hot Springs High School in 1912. The uniforms were in the Pittsburgh Pirates colors of black and gold and subsequently the high school switched permanently to those colors. Wagner also refereed a basketball game for the school that season, something he would later repeat.
''The First Boys of Spring'' Documentary
Whittington Park and Ruth's home run are featured prominently in the Documentary ''The First Boys of Spring'' (2015). Produced by Larry Foley, the documentary on Hot Springs spring training is narrated by actor
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. He had his first break when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller ''One False Move'', and received international attention after writing, directing, a ...
, a Hot Springs area native.
The documentary began airing nationally on the
MLB Network
The MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox C ...
in February, 2016.
Today
"Baseball Trail Park" at 1201 Whittington Ave. is part of the City of Hot Springs Park System. It is named in tribute to the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail and the ball fields that once existed nearby: Sam Guinn Field, Whittington Park and Fogel Field.
Today, the Whittington Park/Ban Johnson Park site is an asphalt parking lot for the Weyerhaeuser Company. There is a home plate marker in the parking lot. A section of cement bleachers remains visible in the adjacent hillside. The cement bleachers on the side of the hill was a fan section called the "Wolves Den". The
Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo is still across the street with a marker for the landing spot of Ruth's St. Patrick's Day Home Run.
Artifacts related to Ban Johnson Park are on display at the Hot Springs Baseball Museum.
On March 24, 2018, a ceremony was held at the Whittington Park site to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Babe Ruth home run. Babe Ruth's family was in attendance. Related events included Hall of Fame inductee
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins CM (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1983 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Bo ...
and former All-Star
Al Hrabosky
Alan Thomas Hrabosky (; born July 21, 1949) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 to 1982 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, and Atlanta Braves. As of 2022, he is the ...
, as well as noted baseball historians Bill Jenkinson and Tim Reid.
Historic markers
Today, there are four plaques at the site as part of the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail: Whittington Park, Mel Ott, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth.
The Whittington Park marker reads:
The Mel Ott plaque reads as follows:
The plaque for Honus Wagner states:
The plaque for Babe Ruth at the Arkansas Alligator Farm frontage states:
References
{{Boston Red Sox
Defunct sports venues in Arkansas
Buildings and structures in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Minor league baseball venues
Cleveland Spiders
Boston Red Sox spring training venues
New York Yankees spring training venues
Detroit Tigers spring training venues
Brooklyn Dodgers spring training venues
Pittsburgh Pirates spring training venues
St. Louis Cardinals spring training venues
Chicago Cubs spring training venues
Babe Ruth
Spring training ballparks
1894 establishments in Arkansas
Sports venues completed in 1894
1947 disestablishments in Arkansas
Sports venues demolished in 1947
Demolished sports venues in the United States
Hot Springs, Arkansas