St. Petersburg is known for sweeping water views, brunch in the sunshine, art museums and towering condos.

Yet, that wasn’t always the case.

"We were once known as the baseball capital of the world,” said Rui Farias, the executive director of the St. Petersburg Museum of History, adding eight teams used to call the waterfront community home during baseball’s spring training.

"Baseball is much more than a game, and I think they'll learn that here,” Rui said of an exhibit dedicated to history and love of the "All-American Game."

The St. Petersburg Museum of History is home to the world's largest collection of autographed baseballs.

"1956 Mickey Mantle became star of the Yankees. 1955, Disneyland opened up,” said Dennis Schrader while looking at an expansive timeline. 

Here, history is told through autographed baseballs. And a lot of them.

"I'll be collecting until I take a big dirt nap,” Dennis said jokingly.

Dennis started collecting baseballs at age nine as an assistant to the bat boys in St. Petersburg’s dugouts during spring training.

"A ball rolls over and I got it in my hands and this gentleman comes by, goes into the restroom, down in the dungeon, comes back out, 'Want me to sign that kid?' [He] took the pen off the string for the lineup card, signed the ball, handed it to me, it was Mickey Mantle. That started it."

At last count, Dennis has more than 48,000 autographed baseballs on display, enough for a Guinness World Record.

"That took about three years!” he said of the paperwork, evaluations and inspections needed to earn the honor.

Today, the "Schrader’s Little Cooperstown" exhibit spans into a second room and has balls signed by greats like Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth.

"The early signature is small,” said Dennis about Babe Ruth’s signature. “As he grew and got famous, his ego grew."

Soon, Dennis claims that Babe wanted his signature to stand out.

"If you threw Babe Ruth a ball, back in the day, and the sweet spot was taken up, he would throw it back. He wouldn't sign it,” Dennis said.

Inside the exhibit, there's also autographs from players of the Negro Leagues, who did more than just play baseball.

"Here in St. Petersburg, baseball was instrumental in ending segregation,” Rui recalled, explaining many African-American players were not permitted to stay in the same hotels as the Caucasian players. 

Only after baseball’s front office threatened to take spring training to other communities did the segregation stop.

Other stars had names like ‘Marge’ and ‘Lillian.’ Players from the women's leagues are also represented. Dennis sent more than 100 baseballs to female players of baseball aged 70 and 80. They responded in droves, autographing baseballs that are now on display.

Along with players, celebrities are also enshrined.

Regis, Elvis and Michael Jordan are also represented here, along with the newest entry.

"It's hard to sign a baseball,” Dennis said as he watches Scott Fais sign the sweet spot of a clean, new ball.

"It is hard to sign a baseball!” Scott confirmed with pen and baseball in hand.

“It's going in!" Dennis said of Scott’s ball after his signature was scribbled across the ball.

Additional Information:
"Schrader’s Little Cooperstown" is a permanent exhibit at the St. Petersburg Museum of History. Parking at the museum is free, but limited. For more information, click here. 

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