Spring training in south Florida

As professional baseball came of age in the early 20th Century, teams sought any and every edge over their opponents. No sooner did spring training become the rule, than Florida emerged as the most popular site for the preseason ritual. In the early years, cities hoped to attract a spring training team for the novelty of having big league ballplayers in their midst. Since the 1920s, many south Florida cities have succeeded in attracting major league spring camps. While many of these relationships have withered, several others have flourished. The successful and enduring relationship of the Los Angeles Dodgers with Vero Beach stands out as a model of spring training camps. South Florida cities compete with one another, often at great expense, to host major league spring training. Potential host cities are guided by the perception that spring training brings promotional benefits and tourist revenue. This perception grew as the modern media helped mold the game of baseball into a big business. The accuracy of this perception, however, is debatable.