Friday, October 2, 2026

Question: For three decades, a Major League Baseball team held its spring training on Catalina Island, courtesy of the chewing-gum magnate who owned the island. Which team was it?

Answer: The Chicago Cubs. Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. bought a controlling interest in Catalina Island in 1919 and made Avalon the spring-training home of his Chicago Cubs from 1921 to 1951. Wrigley also built the island’s landmark Casino, which, despite its name, has never once been used for gambling.