In an event overflowing with historical significance, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is being added to the famous autographed baseball collection at the St. Petersburg Museum of History this Friday. When Welch signs his baseball, it will be the 5,000th such artifact in the collection.

Schrader’s Little Cooperstown is the Guinness world record holder for the largest collection of autographed baseballs on Earth, and this milestone addition serves as a historical marker with significant meaning. April 15th, the day of Welch’s signature ceremony, is celebrated annually by Major League Baseball as Jackie Robinson Day. It was on April 15, 1947 that Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier and made his historic MLB debut, becoming the first Black player to take the field in an MLB game.

As those in St. Pete know, Welch himself made history earlier this year when he was sworn in as St. Petersburg’s first Black mayor. The private ceremony takes place Friday morning, after which the signed baseball will become part of the permanent display alongside 4,999 other baseballs signed by famed athletes and celebrities. Included in that collection: a signed Jackie Robinson baseball.

Little Cooperstown exhibits American history, one baseball at a time

Housed in the St. Petersburg Museum of History, Little Cooperstown is an astounding collection of autographed baseballs. The massive collection started when Dennis Schrader, as a young kid in 1956, attended Yankees spring training in St. Pete and got his first signed baseball from the legendary Mickey Mantle.

Now, Little Cooperstown is home to baseballs signed by celebrities of past and present. Historic figures include baseball players such as Babe Ruth, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. In fact, there is even a signed Marilyn Monroe baseball.

Of course, the modern stars are present as well, like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and celebrities such as Tom Brady and Tom Selleck. There are even American Presidents like Richard Nixon, Barack Obama, and a ball signed by both Ronald Reagan and Doris Day. Elsewhere in the museum, there’s a ball signed by famed aviators Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, and another signed by Neil Armstrong.

The St. Petersburg Museum of History, including Little Cooperstown, is open daily from 10 am – 5 pm. Learn more about the museum’s planned expansion and renovation here.

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