From mid-February to Opening Day, Major League Baseball has a series of practice and exhibition games called spring training.
Spring training provides a chance for young, up-and-coming players to compete for rosters spots and starting jobs while more established players get the opportunity to ramp up for the regular season.
There are two leagues set up for spring training: the Grapefruit League in Florida and the Cactus League in Arizona with 15 teams apiece.
The Philadelphia Phillies were the first team to begin training in Florida in 1889. In 1913, the Chicago Cubs and the then-Cleveland Naps followed, and two more teams went south the next year. The rest is history.
The Cactus League was born after the Cleveland Indians switched to begin training in Arizona in 1946 and owner Bill Veeck convinced the New York Giants to join.
In 1918, a Boston Red Sox pitcher named Babe Ruth was forced to play in an exhibition game as a first baseman. He proceeded to hit two home runs. The Red Sox thought: Maybe this guy has a future as a hitter.