ARCHIVES: Al Lang, Man Who Pioneered Big League Training In Florida, Dies

ST. PETERSBURG - Al Lang, who pioneered major league spring training in Florida, died here today just hours before the 1960 spring drills began in his hometown.

Lang, 89, died at a local hospital at 3:15 A.M. He had been admitted three days ago suffering from pneumonia.

Florida's "Mr. Baseball," Lang came to St. Petersburg from Pittsburgh for his health in 1910 and stayed until his death. In the early years of the century he promoted Florida - especially St. Petersburg - as an ideal place for major league teams to take spring training.

Cubs To Tampa
He failed to persuade the Pittsburgh Pirates to train here in 1912, but two years later he talked the St. Louis Browns into coming here and the Chicago Cubs to train at Tampa. Other teams were to follow.

Lang, who became prosperous in real estate transactions, was elected mayor of St. Petersburg in 1916 but kept up his drive to get all major league teams to train in Florida.

It was in 1925 that he scored his biggest success with the landing of the New York Yankees for his home town. The Yanks have trained here ever since.

Lang persuaded the St. Louis Cardinals to train here in 1938 and one of his happiest years was in 1942 when the Yanks and the Cards played in the World Series.

The World's Fair in New York named Lang its sports adviser in 1938 and the next year he was the state's spokesman at the all-Florida day at the fair.

The city dedicated a baseball park to Lang in 1947 and named it Al Lang Field.

In 1950 the New York baseball writers honored Lang for his contributions to the game and the next year he was elected to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

Lang contributed $100,000 to Children's Home Society of Florida in 1956 and last year he gave $200,000 to the new Florida Presbyterian college which will be built here. The money will be used for scholarships.

Lang married the former Catherine Marie Segan here in 1911. She died in 1954. They had no children.

Lang began attending the World Series when he was a young man and never missed one until 1957 when he was forced to stay home because of ill health.

St. Petersburg, which still does not have a football stadium larger than its high school field, was urged by Lang in 1930 to follow the example of Miami which constructed the Orange Bowl. He predicted that Miami would receive at least $50,000 a year from the bowl.

Funeral services have not been completed.