St. Louis Cardinals’ Johnny Mize, Enos Slaughter and Pepper Martin survey Waterfront Park during 1939 MLB Spring Training in St. Petersburg. For 94 years, the Sunshine City came alive during the month of March with thousands of visitors, the smell of hot dogs and popcorn, and the sound of Play Ball! The St. Louis Browns started the spring tradition in St. Petersburg in 1914, and it continued through the years with numerous teams, eventually ending when the Tampa Bay Rays moved their Spring Training facility to Port Charlotte.
The St. Petersburg Museum of History exhibits the world’s largest collection of autographed baseballs in the Schrader’s Little Cooperstown gallery. The St. Petersburg Museum of History is located at 335 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. For more information about exhibits, hours, and ticket pricing visit SPMOH.com.
