Spring Training Sites of World Series Teams

World Series Champions
The cities where they've trained from 1947-2018: FLORIDA (56) St. Petersburg: 13 Fort Myers: 7 Tampa: 7 Vero Beach: 6 Bradenton: 3 Fort Lauderdale: 3 Jupiter: 3 Miami: 3 Clearwater: 2 Dunedin: 2 Lakeland: 2 West Palm Beach: 2 Orlando: 1 Plant City: 1 Viera: 1 ARIZONA (15) Mesa: 4 Phoenix: 3 Scottsdale: 3 Tucson: 3 Surprise: 1 Tempe: 1

Current City of Champions
Tampa's Steinbrenner Field
Among cities currently hosting spring training, Fort Myers and Tampa have produced the most World Series winners (9), while Tampa has produced the most World Series participants (17).

A Change Did Them Good
Hammond Stadium (Twins) in Fort Myers
Thirteen teams have won the World Series in the same season that they made their debut in a new spring training location:
2017 Astros
2003 Marlins
1996 Yankees
1991 Twins
1962 Yankees
1951 Yankees*
1919 Reds*
1914 Braves
1911 A's*
1910 A's*
1908 Cubs*
1907 Cubs
1903 Americans (Red Sox)

Of those 13 teams, 5 of them never returned to train in the same location again, making them very successful one and done spring training sites for those with an asterisk after their names.

Dodgertown
Former Holman Stadium sign in Vero Beach
All six times the Dodgers finished the season as world champions they started it in Vero Beach, FL, where their famed Dodgertown complex was located and Holman Stadium opened in 1953.

World Series Champions

The cities where they trained from 1903-1946:
ARKANSAS (5)
Hot Springs: 5
CALIFORNIA (2)
Los Angeles: 1
Paso Robles: 1
FLORIDA (17)
St. Petersburg: 10
Bradenton: 2
Fort Myers: 2
Tampa: 2
Lakeland: 1
GEORGIA (5)
Macon: 2
Savannah: 2
Atlanta: 1
ILLINOIS (1)
Cairo: 1
INDIANA (1)
Evansville: 1
LOUISIANA (4)
New Orleans: 4
MISSISSIPPI (1)
Vicksburg: 1
NEW JERSEY (1)
Asbury Park: 1
TEXAS (6)
San Antonio: 4
Mineral Wells: 1
Waxahachie: 1

Where each year's World Series participants have trained

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Thanks to the Giants, Scottsdale, AZ has been where the World Series winner held spring training three times this decade.

While the benefits of training in Arizona or Florida can be debated, where the champions train is factual information. Overwhelmingly, the World Series winners have come from the Grapefruit League since 1947, when the Giants and Indians became the first teams to permanently train in Arizona.

Of course, it's not really a fair fight to compare the two spring training leagues, as they weren't on equal footing until 2010. Prior to then, Florida always had more teams training in it, and as recently as 1997 the Sunshine State was the winter home for 20 teams and the Cactus League but eight.

So it's no surprise in the list that follows that Florida has a large lead over Arizona (110-31) when it comes to the state where each year's World Series participants have trained. Look to the left for spring training sites and World Series winner data.

Where World Series Teams Held Spring Training From 1947-2018
Year	World Series Winner	City	State	World Series Loser	City	State
2018	Boston Red Sox	Fort Myers	FL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Glendale	AZ
2017	Houston Astros	West Palm Beach	FL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Glendale	AZ
2016	Chicago Cubs	Mesa	AZ	Cleveland Indians	Goodyear	AZ
2015	Kansas City Royals	Surprise	AZ	New York Mets	Port St. Lucie	FL
2014	San Francisco Giants	Scottsdale	AZ	Kansas City Royals	Surprise	AZ
2013	Boston Red Sox	Fort Myers	FL	St. Louis Cardinals	Jupiter	FL
2012	San Francisco Giants	Scottsdale	AZ	Detroit Tigers	Lakeland	FL
2011	St. Louis Cardinals	Jupiter	FL	Texas Rangers	Surprise	AZ
2010	San Francisco Giants	Scottsdale	AZ	Texas Rangers	Surprise	AZ
2009	New York Yankees	Tampa	FL	Philadelphia Phillies	Clearwater	FL
2008	Philadelphia Phillies	Clearwater	FL	Tampa Bay Rays	St. Petersburg	FL
2007	Boston Red Sox	Fort Myers	FL	Colorado Rockies	Tucson	AZ
2006	St. Louis Cardinals	Jupiter	FL	Detroit Tigers	Lakeland	FL
2005	Chicago White Sox	Tucson	AZ	Houston Astros	Kissimmee	FL
2004	Boston Red Sox	Fort Myers	FL	St. Louis Cardinals	Jupiter	FL
2003	Florida Marlins	Jupiter	FL	New York Yankees	Tampa	FL
2002	Anaheim Angels	Tempe	AZ	San Francisco Giants	Scottsdale	AZ
2001	Arizona Diamondbacks	Tucson	AZ	New York Yankees	Tampa	FL
2000	New York Yankees	Tampa	FL	New York Mets	Port St. Lucie	FL
1999	New York Yankees	Tampa	FL	Atlanta Braves	Lake Buena Vista	FL
1998	New York Yankees	Tampa	FL	San Diego Padres	Peoria	AZ
1997	Florida Marlins	Viera	FL	Cleveland Indians	Winter Haven	FL
1996	New York Yankees	Tampa	FL	Atlanta Braves	West Palm Beach	FL
1995	Atlanta Braves	West Palm Beach	FL	Cleveland Indians	Winter Haven	FL
1994	none			none
1993	Toronto Blue Jays	Dunedin	FL	Philadelphia Phillies	Clearwater	FL
1992	Toronto Blue Jays	Dunedin	FL	Atlanta Braves	West Palm Beach	FL
1991	Minnesota Twins	Fort Myers	FL	Atlanta Braves	West Palm Beach	FL
1990	Cincinnati Reds	Plant City	FL	Oakland A's	Phoenix	AZ
1989	Oakland A's	Phoenix	AZ	San Francisco Giants	Scottsdale	AZ
1988	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL	Oakland A's	Phoenix	AZ
1987	Minnesota Twins	Orlando	FL	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Petersburg	FL
1986	New York Mets	St. Petersburg	FL	Boston Red Sox	Winter Haven	FL
1985	Kansas City Royals	Fort Myers	FL	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Petersburg	FL
1984	Detroit Tigers	Lakeland	FL	San Diego Padres	Yuma	AZ
1983	Baltimore Orioles	Miami	FL	Philadelphia Phillies	Clearwater	FL
1982	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Petersburg	FL	Milwaukee Brewers	Sun City	AZ
1981	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL	New York Yankees	Fort Lauderdale	FL
1980	Philadelphia Phillies	Clearwater	FL	Kansas City Royals	Fort Myers	FL
1979	Pittsburgh Pirates	Bradenton	FL	Baltimore Orioles	Miami	FL
1978	New York Yankees	Fort Lauderdale	FL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL
1977	New York Yankees	Fort Lauderdale	FL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL
1976	Cincinnati Reds	Tampa	FL	New York Yankees	Fort Lauderdale	FL
1975	Cincinnati Reds	Tampa	FL	Boston Red Sox	Winter Haven	FL
1974	Oakland A's	Mesa	AZ	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL
1973	Oakland A's	Mesa	AZ	New York Mets	St. Petersburg	FL
1972	Oakland A's	Mesa	AZ	Cincinnati Reds	Tampa	FL
1971	Pittsburgh Pirates	Bradenton	FL	Baltimore Orioles	Miami	FL
1970	Baltimore Orioles	Miami	FL	Cincinnati Reds	Tampa	FL
1969	New York Mets	St. Petersburg	FL	Baltimore Orioles	Miami	FL
1968	Detroit Tigers	Lakeland	FL	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Petersburg	FL
1967	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Petersburg	FL	Boston Red Sox	Winter Haven	FL
1966	Baltimore Orioles	Miami	FL	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL
1965	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL	Minnesota Twins	Orlando	FL
1964	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Petersburg	FL	New York Yankees	Fort Lauderdale	FL
1963	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL	New York Yankees	Fort Lauderdale	FL
1962	New York Yankees	Fort Lauderdale	FL	San Francisco Giants	Phoenix	AZ
1961	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Cincinnati Reds	Tampa	FL
1960	Pittsburgh Pirates	Fort Myers	FL	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL
1959	Los Angeles Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL	Chicago White Sox	Tampa	FL
1958	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Milwaukee Braves	Bradenton	FL
1957	Milwaukee Braves	Bradenton	FL	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL
1956	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Brooklyn Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL
1955	Brooklyn Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL
1954	New York Giants	Phoenix	AZ	Cleveland Indians	Tucson	AZ
1953	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Brooklyn Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL
1952	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Brooklyn Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL
1951	New York Yankees	Phoenix	AZ	New York Giants	St. Petersburg	FL
1950	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Philadelphia Phillies	Clearwater	FL
1949	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Brooklyn Dodgers	Vero Beach	FL
1948	Cleveland Indians	Tucson	AZ	Boston Braves	Bradenton	FL
1947	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Brooklyn Dodgers	Havana, Cuba	-

Prior to 1947, teams trained all over the place, although from 1943-1945 World War II travel restrictions kept teams training close to their regular season home base.

The WW2 years are the reason that cold climate cities in Illinois, Indiana and New Jersey can claim a place in baseball history, and those states are among the 10 total that sent a season's World Series winner on their way from 1903 to 1946.

Despite the nomadic nature of teams in the time period, Florida still easily led the way as the training grounds for World Series winners (17) and participants (33). Elsewhere, big southern port cities and central Texas towns easily accessible by rail were popular places to train, as were sites near hot mineral water springs, which were considered a therapeutic bonus. Hence the prevalence of such places in the list below.

Where World Series Teams Held Spring Training From 1903-1946
Year	World Series Winner	City	State	World Series Loser	City	State
1946	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Petersburg	FL	Boston Red Sox	Sarasota	FL
1945	Detroit Tigers	Evansville	IN	Chicago Cubs	French Lick	IN
1944	St. Louis Cardinals	Cairo	IL	St. Louis Browns	Cape Girardeau	MO
1943	New York Yankees	Asbury Park	NJ	St. Louis Cardinals	Cairo	IL
1942	St. Louis Cardinals	St. Petersburg	FL	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL
1941	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Brooklyn Dodgers	Havana, Cuba	-
1940	Cincinnati Reds	Tampa	FL	Detroit Tigers	Lakeland	FL
1939	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Cincinnati Reds	Tampa	FL
1938	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Chicago Cubs	Catalina Island	CA
1937	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	New York Giants	Havana, Cuba	-
1936	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	New York Giants	Pensacola	FL
1935	Detroit Tigers	Lakeland	FL	Chicago Cubs	Catalina Island	CA
1934	St. Louis Cardinals	Bradenton	FL	Detroit Tigers	Lakeland	FL
1933	New York Giants	Los Angeles	CA	Washington Senators	Biloxi	MS
1932	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Chicago Cubs	Catalina Island	CA
1931	St. Louis Cardinals	Bradenton	FL	Philadelphia A's	Fort Myers	FL
1930	Philadelphia A's	Fort Myers	FL	St. Louis Cardinals	Bradenton	FL
1929	Philadelphia A's	Fort Myers	FL	Chicago Cubs	Catalina Island	CA
1928	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	St. Louis Cardinals	Avon Park	FL
1927	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL	Pittsburgh Pirates	Paso Robles	CA
1926	St. Louis Cardinals	San Antonio	TX	New York Yankees	St. Petersburg	FL
1925	Pittsburgh Pirates	Paso Robles	CA	Washington Senators	Tampa	FL
1924	Washington Senators	Tampa	FL	New York Giants	Sarasota	FL
1923	New York Yankees	New Orleans	LA	New York Giants	San Antonio	TX
1922	New York Giants	San Antonio	TX	New York Yankees	New Orleans	LA
1921	New York Giants	San Antonio	TX	New York Yankees	Shreveport	LA
1920	Cleveland Indians	New Orleans	LA	Brooklyn Robins	Jacksonville	FL
1919	Cincinnati Reds	Waxahachie	TX	Chicago White Sox	Mineral Wells	TX
1918	Boston Red Sox	Hot Springs	AR	Chicago Cubs	Pasadena	CA
1917	Chicago White Sox	Mineral Wells	TX	New York Giants	Marlin	TX
1916	Boston Red Sox	Hot Springs	AR	Brooklyn Robins	Daytona Beach	FL
1915	Boston Red Sox	Hot Springs	AR	Philadelphia Phillies	St. Petersburg	FL
1914	Boston Braves	Macon	GA	Philadelphia A's	Jacksonville	FL
1913	Philadelphia A's	San Antonio	TX	New York Giants	Marlin	TX
1912	Boston Red Sox	Hot Springs	AR	New York Giants	Marlin	TX
1911	Philadelphia A's	Savannah	GA	New York Giants	Marlin	TX
1910	Philadelphia A's	Atlanta	GA	Chicago Cubs	Hot Springs	AR
1909	Pittsburgh Pirates	Hot Springs	AR	Detroit Tigers	San Antonio	TX
1908	Chicago Cubs	Vicksburg	MS	Detroit Tigers	Hot Springs	AR
1907	Chicago Cubs	New Orleans	LA	Detroit Tigers	Augusta	GA
1906	Chicago White Sox	New Orleans	LA	Chicago Cubs	Champaign	IL
1905	New York Giants	Savannah	GA	Philadelphia A's	Shreveport	LA
1904	none			none
1903	Boston Americans	Macon	GA	Pittsburgh Pirates	Hot Springs	AR

Henley Field in Lakeland
The Tigers went to the World Series in the first two years (1934-35) that they trained at Lakeland's Henley Field, which still stands less than two miles from their present-day spring training stadium.

Some Interesting Facts

The first all-Cactus League World Series match-up occurred in 1954, when the Giants defeated the Indians. That was also the first year the Cactus League was officially a league, and named as such. Since then, other World Series involving only Cactus League teams have taken place in 1989, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2016. The Giants were a participant in the first five all-Cactus League World Series.

World Series played between two Grapefruit League teams are a common occurrence, with 45 such instances since 1947 and 55 all-time. The first time that two teams that trained in Florida met in a World Series was in 1924, when the Senators beat the Giants to become the first Grapefruit League team to win a World Series.

The 1913 World Series was the first to be played between two teams that held spring training in the same state, which was Texas. That year the Philadelphia A's (San Antonio) beat the New York Giants (Marlin) in the first of three World Series match-ups between Texas trained teams.

The 1942 World Series in the only one in history that featured two teams that held spring training in the same city, as the Cardinals and Yankees trained at separate sites in St. Petersburg and played their exhibition games at Waterfront Park.

The Yankees won the World Series in the only year in which they ever trained in Arizona (1951). Then Yankees co-owner Del Webb was a resident of Phoenix and arranged for his team to train there on a one-time basis by swapping camps with the New York Giants, whom thereby replaced the Yankees in their St. Petersburg camp. As it turned out, 1951 was Joe DiMaggio's final spring training and Mickey Mantle's first one with the Yankees (a good article about that can be read here) and the two teams that traded camps sites ended up playing each other in the World Series. Also, after 1951 the Giants never returned to train in Florida and remain to this day the longest tenured member of the Cactus League.

The road to the World Series has begun in St. Petersburg, FL more often than anywhere else -- 35 times, with 23 of those teams winning titles.

A Sarasota camp has never produced a World Series winner, despite Major League teams training in Sarasota for all but nine years since 1924. The only two teams that have trained in Sarasota and made it to the World Series were the 1924 Giants and 1946 Red Sox.

The A's actually held a two-day training camp at Phoenix Municipal Stadium during the 1989 World Series, which was interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake. The afternoon before the 10-day delayed series resumed, the A's played an exhibition game in Phoenix against their Fall instructional league team, winning it 7-0 before an estimated crowd of 7,000. Even though admission was free, fans that witnessed that game and the team workout the day before donated almost $20,000 to the Bay area earthquake relief fund.

Where World Series Teams Held Spring Training From 1947-2018

Where World Series Teams Held Spring Training From 1903-1946

Some Interesting Facts