Spring is indeed sprung again, if only by the calendar, the warmth in the weather and the sound of baseballs being struck by bats.

However, the clouds are not only discomforting, but so are the raids again from Arizona. Joe Torre’s Los Angeles Dodgers say they are moving to Phoenix from Dodgertown on Florida’s east coast. That’s bad. That’s a loss, a big loss. The Tampa Bay Rays are going to Punta Gorda after this season. That’s OK. It is close by and in Florida, but it will leave the premier Florida spring training city, and the home Gov. Charlie Crist, without a team. Not good. He’s a fan, a graduate of St. Petersburg High. Yipes!

Arizona began these raids years ago. They were stopped, when Florida bowed its back. Can’t allow that. When it was over, some who had moved said there weren’t enough teams to play out there and they were right. Hasn’t changed.

Florida remains the best spring training spot for teams, players, coaches and the competition. And now, notably St. Petersburg, as mentioned, the governor’s hometown, will be available next year.

Remember, there was a time when two teams trained in Tampa (the Cincinnati Reds at the University of Tampa and the White Sox at Lopez Field and south of there at part of what is now the great, and prideful New York Yankees complex). When old Tampa Stadium was built, the Reds moved to Plant City, but when things were sorted out, and Raymond James Stadium built where it is now, George M. Steinbrenner brought the Yankees to Tampa, where he had made his home before the team was moved. It has been a boon to all involved. It is a favored location, perhaps the most favored in baseball. It will change names from Legends Field to Steinbrenner Field this season.

In those early days, St. Pete and Tampa were favored training spots, because they were busy, growing places of great future and histories in the sport. St. Pete had the beaches, and still does. Tampa had a good Western Union office for sending newspaper copy north until midnight. And, Tampa had a late-night plane to New York for sending photos. In Tampa, the media headquarters, and home for some teams were the Terrace, the Floridan and Hillsborough hotels, all gone.

The Governor’s Baseball Dinner, before it was dropped, was generally - in its prime - held at the old Terrace Hotel. The state, with Tampa civic help, put it on. During the early years, all baseball people, including managers, attended, as did some players and the visiting and local media folk. And, I mean, all of them were there. Big deal it was.

However, once, I recall, all prizes in the Terrace lobby were to be picked by winners of a drawing. Someone in a truck, and uniforms, came to the lobby, told the guards they were there to pick up the prizes. They did and they left. It was the night Dizzy Dean was the speaker. 

But, that was another time.

It is still restful, spring training, a learning time, a searching time and if we have the continued good weather of recent days and nights, most involved - except the late cuts to the minors - will have good times and good memories. But, none of a governor’s dinner. It was stopped and should have been. Tampa gave it up to St. Pete. But, baseball people had stopped going. Too much trouble after the simple years, in part because of the growth and great coverage of television.

However, there is time for the blocking of the raids on spring training teams from the west. Remember, they just had a Super Bowl out there, too. It’s not war, but it is a competition.

Go, Governor Charlie.