DATE: July 21, 2026
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — While seeing and hearing Major League Baseball legends is big-time fun, it’s also worth remembering that Hot Springs Baseball Weekend also recognizes that the city’s role as The Birthplace of Major League Baseball Spring Training is an important reason the weekend was created.
That’s the message Majestic Park General Manager Derek Phillips wants to emphasize as the August 7 – 9 celebration approaches. Phillips is organizing this year’s Baseball Weekend.
“Celebrating Hot Springs’ vital role in baseball history is one of the reasons we created Baseball Weekend years ago,” Phillips said. “While we all get a kick out of seeing and hearing legends such as Al Hrabosky, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Dale Murphy, Smoke Stewart, Fred McGriff and Jack Morris, we also remember that Hot Springs played a pivotal role in paving the way for the popularity and recognition of Black baseball teams and players.”
“We asked Tim Reid about that aspect of Hot Springs’ historic role,” Phillips said. “Tim is one of America’s premier baseball historians and one of America’s leading experts on the life of Babe Ruth. Tim was also one of the group of the game’s historians who initially emphasized the city’s position as the place where Major League Baseball spring training was born. Tim, Bill Jenkinson, Mike Dugan, Don Duren and Mark Blaeuer researched all the locations that became the Historic Hot Springs Baseball Trail. Tim also provided invaluable information about Babe Ruth that helped lead to the bigger-than-life bronze statue of The Babe that stands at the entrance to Majestic Park.”
Reid and Jenkinson researched Ruth’s monumental 573-foot home run at Whittington Park in Hot Springs.
“Hot Springs proved that Spring Training greatly improved players’ and teams’ performances during regular season, Reid said in an interview earlier this month from his home in Florida. “Most notable of all, it set the table for Babe Ruth’s saving and transformation of baseball. It was where he changed the game forever. It helped pave the way for the visibility, acceptance and popularity of Black baseball, throughout the South and entire country.”
Reid said that when the Chicago White Stockings came to Hot Springs in 1886 to train before the start of the regular season Spring Training was born. They won the national league pennant after that first spring training and other teams began coming to the city to take advantage of the thermal waters and mountain trails for training.
When teams began going to Florida and Arizona for Spring Training in the 1930s, Hot Springs became a favorite place for Black teams and players to train and play, Reid said.
“The Pittsburgh Crawfords of 1932, one the greatest teams of all time – with Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson and Oscar Charleston – played and was photographed at Fogel Field in 1932,” Reid said. “It’s one of baseball’s most famous photos, featured in ‘The Bingo Long Travelling All Stars’ and many other places.
“After the exodus of Spring Training, the Negro Leagues took over the facilities and began training here. That led to the barnstorming games where the Negro League teams would play Major League clubs and college teams. These games had a huge impact on raising awareness of Black teams and players. Hot Springs was not only an epicenter of baseball for the National and American Leagues, it was also an epicenter for the Negro Leagues. Having teams like the Kansas City Monarchs, Homestead Grays, and Pittsburgh Crawfords in town was hugely great publicity for both Black baseball and for Hot Springs itself.
“Additionally, giants of Black baseball Rube Foster and David Wyatt, who both played for the Arlingtons (a team named for the city’s iconic hotel), were instrumental for decades in spreading the word about how great a town Hot Springs was for Black baseball and culture. Hot Springs’ role in controversially desegregating the Cotton States League in 1954 by allowing the Tugerson Brothers to play on the Hot Springs’ Bathers was very significant, too.”
The Ninth Annual Hot Springs Baseball Weekend has been expanded to three days — August 7 – 9 — with an additional day devoted to a bigger and better baseball card show.
The weekend opens on Friday, August 7, at 7 p.m. with the free public screening of the movie “The Battered Bastards of Baseball.”
On Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Baseball Weekend will welcome six remarkable players who will greet fans and participate in free panels and discussions.
This year’s lineup includes Baseball Hall of Fame members Fred McGriff and Jack Morris, Dave “Smoke” Stewart, Dale Murphy, Bill “Spaceman” Lee and Al Hrabosky. McGriff, Stewart and Morris will be first-timers at the annual celebration, which includes talks by the legends, interaction with fans, a huge baseball card show and other activities. It’s all free and open to the public.
The full schedule for this year’s Hot Springs Baseball Weekend (all events in the Convention Center’s Horner Hall unless otherwise noted):
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
• 7:30 p.m. – Free screening of the documentary “The Battered Bastards of Baseball.” The first 200 guests will receive a complimentary Weekend poster.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8
• 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Meeting. Non-members welcome. Speaker: Frank Amoroso author of the new book “ Ode to the Baseball Gods: Epic Battle in Hot Springs. (Room 201)
• 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Baseball Card Show in the Grand Lobby.
• 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. – The Ultimate Ace- Dave “Smoke” Stewart
Dave Stewart’s career is a masterclass in mental toughness and perseverance.
A three-time world champion and the 1989 World Series MVP, “Smoke” Stewart is remembered as the ultimate ace. Hear about his career in MLB where he was not just a great player a player but also a pitching coach, general manager and mentor to many.
• 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Fire Up the Tomahawk Chop: A Career
Retrospective with Fred McGriff
Relive the magic of ‘90s baseball with the man who helped bring a title to Atlanta. Fred McGriff shares behind-the- scenes stories from the clubhouse, the pressure of the postseason, and his memories of playing alongside fellow legends. Fans will have the chance to hear “The Crime Dog” reflect on his favorite career milestones and his perspective on the state of the modern game.
• 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Dale Murphy and the Rise of the Braves
Sit down with Braves legend Dale Murphy as he discusses the defining moments of his 15 seasons in Atlanta. Beyond the 398 career home runs and seven All-Star selections, Murphy was known for his “squeaky-clean” image and leadership both on and off the field. This session explores his transition from a struggling young prospect to back-to-back MVP, his thoughts on the Hall of Fame, and his enduring legacy as a role model for the next generation.
• 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Ten Innings of Glory: Jack Morris and the Art of the Big Game
Sit down with four-time World Series champion Jack Morris as he discusses his storied career. From his legendary 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series —often called the greatest pitching performance in postseason history — to his no-hitter in 1984, Morris was the ace you wanted on the mound when the season was on the line. Hear firsthand stories about his championship runs with the Tigers, Twins and Blue Jays.
• 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Outspoken & Unplugged: If Bill Lee and
Al Hrabosky Were MLB Commissioner for a Day
Get ready for a high-energy session with two fan favorites brought back by popular demand. Bill “Spaceman” Lee, known for his eccentric views and colorful stories, joins Cardinal legend Al Hrabosky to debate what they would change if they held the top job in baseball for just 24 hours. Expect a lively conversation covering everything from the pitch clock and “robo-umps” to what they think about the use of statistics in today’s game.
• 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – The Legends of the Diamond: An Unfiltered Q&A with
Baseball’s Greatest
For the first time this weekend, we bring all of our guest legends together on one stage. Join Hall of Famers Fred McGriff and Jack Morris, alongside fan favorites Dave Stewart, Dale Murphy, Bill Lee, and Al “The Mad Hungarian” Hrabosky for a wide-ranging discussion. From clubhouse secrets and World Series heroics to their candid thoughts on today’s game, no topic is off-limits. This is your chance to ask your burning questions to six men who defined eras of baseball history.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
• 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Baseball Card Show Continues in the Grand Lobby.
For more information call Derek Phillips at 501-359-2414.