Today in 1944 - Spring Training Moves Outside

After starting 1944's Spring Training indoors in a barn in Hartfield, the Brewers were eager to get outside.

Journal Staff

Enthusiasm ran high at the Brewers' Waukesha training camp Monday when Manager Charlie Grimm gave the word for outside practice. The players laid hold of the batting cage (above) and ran it out on Frame field at a lively clip to get their first chance of the season at swinging bats. The weather turned cold, however, and outdoor practice had to be called off Tuesday.

Jolly Cholly looks pretty natty in his wool jacket and flat cap. The rest of the Brewers are wearing their old uniforms with the thick piping and block "M" instead of their more modern "Brewers" jerseys introduced in 1942. Wish we had a better look at their jackets with the Owgust chest patch.

The Brewers' spring ballfields were located at Frame Park, on the banks of the Fox River just north of downtown Waukesha.

It's not surprising that cold weather should have driven the Brewers back indoors; a half-century later the Brewers and Milwaukee County would spend an extra $50 million on Miller Park's retractable roof to keep out those chilly April evenings.