Rick Vaughn 100 Years of Baseball on St. Petersburg's Waterfront

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Step onto the field and bear witness to baseball's outsized impact on Florida's Sunshine City.<p An argument can be made that St. Petersburg is a city that baseball built. And the primary architect was Al Lang, the Pittsburgh transplant who introduced spring training baseball to a sleepy settlement that was still finding its bearings. Soon enough, Babe Ruth and the Yankees readied for the season alongside "Sunshine Al." Basking in the combined light of baseball's star power and the Florida coast's gentle rays was an irresistible attraction and the population exploded. St. Petersburg was beacon in other ways as well, ultimately leading the way out of the segregationist practices in which Florida's spring training cities were mired. Nearly 200 Hall of Famers would prep for the season at St. Pete as the city grew up around them. Author Rick Vaugh explores the partnership between Florida's Sunshine City and America's pastime.