Al Lang

Albert Fielding Lang (1870–1960), better known as Al Lang, was an American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, from 1916 to 1920. Lang was an active mayor who took steps to beautify the city and increase its popularity especially among northerners who would come to Florida in the winter. However, Lang is best known for his work in bringing baseball spring training to the St. Petersburg area.

Early years Lang was born in 1870 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During his childhood, Lang was a well known Pittsburgh Pirates fan and associated with the players before and after the games even though he was of school age. Ignoring parental reprimands, Lang often attended games with his boyhood friend, Barney Dreyfuss As a young adult, Lang established a laundry business that became the largest in city. At the time, Pittsburgh was a city that had an economy focused on steel and smelting businesses and was known for its poor air quality. His funeral was attended by thousands to include Stan Musial, Ford Frick and other baseball players and executives. The baseball field named after Lang continued to host spring training games until March 28, 2008, when the Tampa Bay Rays played their last game at the stadium and then moved to Port Charlotte for the 2009 season.