The renovations that will turn the childhood home of baseball Hall of Fame member Al Lopez into a baseball museum began Wednesday.
Tampa Bay has a rich history in baseball, with more than 80 major leaguers coming from the area.
The Tampa Bay Baseball Museum will encompass the entire history of local baseball, from Little League all the way up to the big leagues.
Chantal Hevia, President and CEO of the Ybor City Museum Society, said the baseball museum will have artifacts from the major league players, as well some of the older teams that used to play in the Tampa Bay region.
“It's going to be a very comprehensive view of what baseball has meant to Tampa for so very long. It has a great presence in Tampa, even more than 125 years ago,” Hevia said. “So, there is a lot to see. We're collecting artifacts from some of the major players and some of the older teams. We will have a lot of exciting things to show people.”
The Al Lopez House is expected to be open as the Tampa Bay Baseball Museum by spring training in 2014.
