Professional Baseball 

The mid-1920s saw professional baseball on the scene in Highlands County. In 1926, Colonel Charles R. Head (left), a Spanish-American War veteran, Avon Park businessman and charter member of the Rotary Club, convinced Sam Breadon, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals (the “Gas House Gang”), to bring his then-World Series champions to Avon Park for spring training. Breadon agreed, but only if the city would build a quality facility. Col. Head led the way in the construction of what was then called Cardinal Field, a name changed in 1934 to Charles R. Head Athletic Field.

 

The field became the site for spring training for the Cardinals during the late 1920s, with Babe Ruth, Dizzy Dean, Lou Gehrig and other Hall of Famers playing here. In the 1930s and 1940s, the field was home to a number of minor league ball clubs.

Avon Park High School Baseball

 Beginning with its first season in 1945, the Avon Park baseball team has compiled a legendary record. The team went undefeated in regular season play for its first three seasons. Over the decades, it went on to post a record unmatched by any other Florida city:

 

 

 

Florida State Champions:    eight times
Runners-Up:                            five times
State Final Appearances:     20 times
Winning Record:                    50 of 53 seasons

“The Gas House Gang”

The 1928 St. Louis Cardinals in spring training at Cardinal Field in Avon Park.