spring training by major league teams in sites other than their regular season game sites first became popular in the 1890s and by 1910 was in wide use. hot springs, arkansas, has been called the original "birthplace" of spring training baseball. the location of hot springs and the concept of getting the players ready for the upcoming season was the brainchild of chicago white stockings (today's chicago cubs) team president albert spalding and cap anson. in 1886, the white stockings traveled to hot springs to prepare for the upcoming season. after holding spring training at the hot springs baseball grounds, the white stockings went on to have a successful season and other teams took notice. in subsequent years other teams joined chicago and began holding spring training in hot springs, leading to the first spring training games. the cleveland spiders, detroit tigers, pittsburgh pirates, cincinnati reds, brooklyn dodgers, and boston red sox followed the white stockings to hot springs. whittington field/ban johnson park (1894), majestic park (1909), and fogel field (1912) were all built in hot springs to host major league teams.