When Three Swings Changed the Game
May 28, 2026The West Coast Inn was a well-known hotel in downtown St. Petersburg, historically located on 1st Street South across from Al Lang Stadium and part of the city’s lively waterfront district. Its white exterior and red roof made it a prominent backdrop in vintage photos and postcards from the 1920s through the 1950s, when downtown St. Petersburg was growing as a winter resort and spring training hub.
The Inn entered local legend because of a famous story involving baseball great Babe Ruth. During Spring Training at nearby Waterfront Park, Ruth reportedly drove a ball onto the second-floor patio of the West Coast Inn, a hit so long it became part of local lore and baseball history. While details have been debated over time, fans and historians have repeated the tale as one of the city’s great sporting anecdotes.
The hotel served visitors who came for baseball, seaside breezes, and downtown life until the mid-20th century. It was visible in 1950s films such as Strategic Air Command before the building was eventually dismantled as part of downtown waterfront updates. The former site is now part of the area redeveloped around Al Lang Stadium and The Mahaffey Theater, with modern condominiums and gathering spaces replacing older structures.