Gene Autry, co-owner of the Los Angeles Angels, led the way as his baseball team embarked on a bicycle workout Feb. 22, 1962, from the Gene Autry Hotel (now the Parker Palm Springs) to the Polo Grounds, later to be named Palm Springs Angel Stadium.
Once the team arrived at the stadium and began batting practice, Manager Bill Rigney blew the whistle each time a ball sailed over the fence. This was the signal for all of the ball players to take a lap around the ball park.
During an interview with a Desert Sun reporter, Rigney said that with the bicycle gimmick and the daily running sessions ,his ball players legs will be in top condition.
There is a multitude of ways to Explore Palm Springs, which turned 75 in 2013. One of the more intriguing methods is by exploring Palm Springs history.
The Palm Springs Historical Society will share a story whose time and place corresponds with today.
The Palm Springs Historical Society is located at 221 S. Palm Canyon Drive.
Visit www.pshistoricalsociety.org for more information.