Majestic Park
Majestic Park was one of the first Major League Baseball spring training facilities and was located at the corner of Belding Street and Carson Street in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Today the site is still in use by Champion Christian College and is under renovation by the City of Hot Springs.
History
First built by the Detroit Tigers as a practice field in 1908, Majestic Park was the spring training site of the Boston Red Sox and their star pitcher Babe Ruth, Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Browns. The location later became the site of Dean Field /Jaycee Park. Dean Field also served as home to the Rogers Hornsby Baseball College.The Hot Springs Bathers minor league team and the Chicago White Sox minor league Spring Training were held at Jaycee Park. Jaycee Park hosted the 1952 Negro League World Series and a 1953 exhibition game featuring Jackie Robinson. The site can claim games featuring both All-time Home Run record holders, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron as among those who have played at the site. In 1914, Babe Ruth was just beginning his career for the Red Sox, while a young Aaron played in the 1952 Negro League World Series.
Today, the site is undergoing an 8.5 million dollar renovation, with a completion date of spring, 2021. The site has four historical plaques, as part of the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail. Majestic Field, Rogers Hornsby, Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron each have historical plaques on the site.
Along with Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron, others who performed at the site include Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Jimmie Foxx, Gil Hodges, Harry Hooper, Cy Young, Rogers Hornsby, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Herb Pennock, Tris Speaker, and Walter Johnson. The Sporting News ranking of the greatest players ever listed: Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Hank Aaron and Rogers Hornsby.
Baseball in Hot Springs
Often called the "birthplace" of Spring Training baseball, Hot Springs first welcomed Major League Baseball in 1886, when the Chicago White Stockings, brought their coaches and players to the city in preparation for the upcoming season. Team President Albert Spalding and the team's player/manager Cap Anson, thought the city was an ideal training site for the players. The first baseball location was Hot Springs Baseball Grounds. Many other Major League teams followed and began training in Hot Springs. Needing venues for teams to use, Whittington Park was built in 1894, followed by Majestic Park and Fogel Field. 134 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame are documented to have trained or played, in Hot Springs.History of Original Majestic Field
In 1908, the Detroit Tigers created a practice baseball field at the site. In 1909, the stands forMajestic Park were built at the field by Boston Red Sox owner John I. Taylor, who signed a five-year lease on the property as a Spring Training location. Trolleys were routed to turn around in front of the park. The Majestic name came from the Majestic Hotel in Hot Springs. Two years later, Taylor would construct Fenway Park for the Red Sox. The Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Browns held Spring Training Camp at the original Majestic Park.The Boston Red Sox were a dominant team, winning four World Series Championships in their time at Majestic Park. It was in 1918 spring training that the Red Sox first began to use Babe Ruth in the field, instead of exclusively at pitcher, to take advantage of his hitting.
On March 29, 1918, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, owners of the Majestic Park property cancelled the Red Sox lease for 1919 to utilize a portion of the ballpark area for railroad needs. In 1918, the original Majestic Park facility was demolished, leading to other fields on the property that had ties to the Major Leagues: Dean Field and Jaycee Park. The relocated field was renamed "Dean Field" in 1938 after Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean and his brother "Daffy" Paul Dean. Jaycee Park was built on the adjacent south side of the lot in 1947 to replace Ban Johnson Park, which was located across town.
When Dean Field and Jaycee Park evolved, they hosted the Rogers Hornsby Baseball College, the George Barr Umpire School, the Chicago White Sox Minor League Spring Training and the Hot Springs Bathers as tenants.
The minor league Bathers were a Cotton States League team that was an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Athletics. Paul Dean Managed the 1954 team.
Baseball Schools
The Roy Doan Baseball School operated from 1934–38, attracting hundreds of students and utilized Dean Field and other locations throughout Hot Springs. In 1939, Hall of Fame player and manager Rogers Hornsby, a former instructor with Roy Doan, started his own Rogers Hornsby Baseball College. Hornsby's six-week event ran until 1952, annually attracting 100-200 prospective professionals and numerous major league scouts. Cy Young, Jimmie Foxx, Tris Speaker and Schoolboy Rowe were among the instructors. The George Barr Umpire School, the first ever training school for aspiring umpires, operated in Hot Springs through 1940, being held in conjunction with the baseball schools.Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth played at Majestic Park for six seasons. In 1914, the lefty pitcher first faced Major League players as a young minor leaguer. Ruth would make the Red Sox' major league roster in 1915 and establish himself as a star pitcher. In 1918, during Spring Training, Ruth played first base as an emergency measure in a game against Brooklyn at Whittington Field. The game helped change baseball history. Ruth hit two home runs that day and the second was a reported 573-foot home run that landed in the Arkansas Alligator Farm across the street. As a result, the Red Sox began to use Ruth as both a pitcher and a hitter. With Ruth regularly in the 1918 lineup, he led the American League with 11 home runs. He also pitched to a 13–7 record and the Red Sox won the World Series. Sold to the New York Yankees in 1920, Ruth went on to total 714 Home Runs, a record that stood until broken by Hank Aaron.Jackie Robinson
On October 22, 1953, Jackie Robinson played in an exhibition game at Jaycee Park. Having broken Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, Robinson and the some other Major League players toured, calling themselves Jackie Robinson's All-Stars. Robinson's squad played the Negro American League All-Stars that day, losing 14-9. Today, there is a plaque at the site as part of the "Hot Springs Baseball Historic Trail" honoring the event.Hank Aaron: Negro League World Series
In 1952, as referenced in a plaque at the site, 18-year old shortstop Hank Aaron played for the Negro League Indianapolis Clowns against the Birmingham Black Barons at Jaycee Park in the Negro League World Series. The World Series was eventually won by the Clowns, with Aaron hitting 5 Home runs and batting over.400. The 1952 World Series was also the last for the Negro Leagues. Discovered by the Clowns while playing for a semi-pro team in a game against them, they signed Aaron in April, 1951. After his performance in the Negro League World Series, Aaron signed with the Boston Braves. Hank Aaron would eventually become baseball's all-time Home Run leader, with 755 career Home Runs, breaking Babe Ruth's record of 714 on April 8, 1974.Media
The First Boys of Spring is a 2015 documentary on the history of Hot Springs Spring Training. The film features Majestic Park items. Produced by Arkansas filmmaker Larry Foley, it is narrated by Hot Springs area native, actor Billy Bob Thornton. The Foley documentary was aired nationally on the MLB Network beginning in February, 2016.Site Today
In 1953, the Hot Springs Boys and Girls Club built and opened a youth facility on the parcel at 109 West Belding Street, where it still remains today. In 2018, Champion Christian College took possession of the youth facility building.In September 2019, the City of Hot Springs passed a bond issue to secure 8.5 million dollars for a total renovation of the Majestic Park site, with a completion date of spring, 2021.
As part of the Hot Springs Baseball Historic Trail, four separate plaques were erected at the site: Majestic Field, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson and Rogers Hornsby.
The Majestic Field plaque reads:
The Hank Aaron plaque reads:
The Jackie Robinson plaque says the following:
The Rogers Hornsby plaque at the site reads: