The warm weather and easy-going lifestyle found in Sarasota, Florida has attracted visitors since the early twentieth century. It is not surprising that several professional baseball teams have also been lured to this beautiful destination to participate in their seasonal spring training. Spring Training in Sarasota, 1924 ? 1960, by longtime resident and author Jeff LaHurd, chronicles the coming of professional baseball to Sarasota beginning with the arrival of the New York Giants and eventually, after the Giants's departure, the coming of the Boston Red Sox. LaHurd revisits the joys and challenges the city faced while playing host to these teams and the larger-than-life personalities that filled the teams? rosters. Enjoyable and informative, this book returns the reader to a golden period in not only Sarasota's history, but baseball's as well. Features tales about greats like Giants fiery manager John J. McGraw and Boston's legendary slugger Ted Williams.

Jeff LaHurd is the author of several books of local history. His articles have appeared in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Style Magazine, The Sarasota Observer, SARASOTA Magazine, SRQ, and The Downtowner. LaHurd is a former board member of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation and the Sarasota Historical Society.